Through the hard work and commitment of the Concordance team and our partnership with Rush University Medical Center (Rush), we are pleased to announce the opening of our newest distribution center (DC) in Chicago, Illinois. Concordance felt a kinship with Rush thanks in large part to their anchor mission strategy which focuses on the impact of how they hire, invest, purchase and volunteer in their local communities.
“Concordance’s business is built on a foundation of outstanding customers who value local and regional relationships, and we quickly determined that Rush, and other local organizations who share Rush’s mission, are a perfect fit for our company,” said Concordance COO, Dave Myers.
Our new location in the Windy City opened for operation during the last week of September. Concordance first began servicing Rush in early spring 2019 from a smaller location which Rush University Medical Center had been using prior to our arrival. After establishing a presence in Chicago, Concordance leadership made the strategic decision to move and re-establish the location in a larger facility, allowing greater flexibility in servicing Rush and additional Chicago area customers.
Teamwork
The Chicago project is a result of years of work by Concordance Regional Director, Mike Brown, and Account Manager, Joel Jaffe, whose dedicated efforts built strategic relationships and avenues into the Rush system. The newest location for Concordance is an impressive 175,000-square-foot facility, recently built from the ground up, boasting over 100,000-square-feet of racked space and room for expansion as business in the area develops and grows. Today, the Chicago DC is up and running with two shifts, employing nearly 50 people and operating our own small fleet to deliver product.
Shared vision and purpose supporting continuity of care continue to be common themes between Concordance and the health systems we support. From all of our expansion projects to the opening of Chicago, we diligently work toward becoming a trusted advisor for our customers. Concordance came to the Windy City as a relative unknown entity, but true to our demonstrated performance, the talk and the walk lined up. It’s easy to say you can do something early in a process, but what really matters is when you prove it, as Concordance has.
Growth
This new location has the potential to grow exponentially over the next few years as we service more customers in the area. This is only made possible because of the dedication of hardworking Concordance individuals and departments that have consistently demonstrated our capabilities. From planners to traveling volunteers, Concordance has met the challenge.
Concordance Chief Information Officer, Keith Price, had a principal role in coordinating this move both remotely and onsite in Chicago. He said, “I want to thank all of the volunteers that came to help. They’re examples of our culture and who we are as a company. When there’s a task at hand to be done, we can put out the call and get the volunteers needed to make it a success!”
Commitment
Concordance now operates 20 DCs serving the healthcare industry across the United States. These strategic locations allow us to provide supply chain services to the entire continuum of care including: ambulatory surgery centers, community health centers, government and the VA, health systems and hospitals, home care and hospice agencies, long term care facilities and primary care physicians.
Concordance has had several expansion opportunities over the last few years, both refortifying existing locations as well as expanding into new geographies. Our foundation of efficiency and service excellence has remained strong in the way we treat, not only our customers, but also our employees and partners throughout the industry.
Concordance will continue to adjust to the ever-changing healthcare market and do what it takes to provide our unique service model to customers across the country. We’re dedicated to bringing customized solutions to healthcare providers in an effort to create the most efficient, streamlined supply chain possible. As we continue to step into new geographies, our focus remains on collaborating with our suppliers and industry partners to meet the needs of our customers and the communities they serve.