Medline Konig Surgical Instrument Line Now Available on the Web, CD and Catalog

MUNDELEIN, IL - Surgeons, operating room managers and materials managers can now view Medline's fast-growing König surgical instrument line in three convenient methods, via Medline's web site, Medline.com, on compact disc and in printed catalogs.

Medline's web site, Medline.com, features the entire König line of 3,000-plus items and is updated weekly to give customers the most accurate information. The site also includes an extensive competitor product list of more than 25,000 item numbers to assist users in converting to the König line.

In addition, Medline recently launched a new 366-page catalog and CD featuring Medline's "Tier One" instruments. The "Tier One" program, featuring 2,000 of Medline's most demanded instruments, guarantees that if an item is not shipped within three business days, customers will receive a 50 percent discount on that item.

For those customers that benefit from a printed version of the full König offering, Medline also offers the most comprehensive surgical instrument catalog in the industry. The 728-page catalog features color-coded sections to highlight the range of instruments in the König line.

The König line originates in Germany, where a series of ISO 9000 certified facilities craft the instruments using only the finest quality German stainless steel. The König collection consists of general and specialty instruments, all of which are manufactured to meet the most demanding needs. All König instruments are backed by a lifetime warranty.

Medline also offers a consignment supply management program in which a customer orders the surgical instruments but incurs no expense until the item is used, freeing up valuable budget dollars. Under the consignment program, Medline will provide a free instrument cabinet that can hold up to 700 instruments.

Having the ISO 9000 registration means Medline meets the most stringent international standards for producing quality products. As a leading supplier of quality products, Medline is asked to serve on major industry quality committees to develop guidelines and standards for medical product use. Some of these organizations include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM).

Medline was founded in 1966 but the company's roots in health care date back to 1910 when it was a garment manufacturer. Headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois, Medline is the leading direct supplier of medical products and equipment to the health care industry. Based on sales of over $1.5 billion in 2002, Medline is the largest privately held national manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the United States. The company has more than 650 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services. Medline distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, hospital laundries, home care dealers and agencies and other alternate site markets from its 27 distribution centers in the U.S. With five manufacturing facilities in North America, Medline manufactures many of the products it sells. More information about Medline can be found at www.medline.com.