Private equity firms in deal to acquire Medline for about $34 billion

At least eight buyout firms had last month been preparing offers for the company

A consortium of private equity firms has reached a deal — reportedly worth about $34 billion — to acquire family-run Medline, the medical supply and equipment company announced Saturday.
 
The leveraged buyout’s value was reported by The Wall Street Journal, which said the acquiring firms — Blackstone Group, Carlyle Group and Hellman & Friedman LLC — had beat out a rival bid from Brookfield Asset Management, a Canadian investing firm.
 
Based in Northfield, Illinois, Medline is the biggest private US manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies like medical gloves, gowns and exam tables to hospitals and doctor’s offices.