Medical supply maker to close Brentwood HQ, affecting 51 workers

Medical Action Industries Inc., a Brentwood-based manufacturer of surgical procedure kits, will close its Long Island headquarters, affecting 51 employees, according to a notice filed with the state last Wednesday.

Notification of the closure slated for Dec. 1 came the same day as the official completion of a buyout of the company by Owens & Minor Inc. of Richmond, Virginia.

"As with any acquisition, there's some overlap of functions with two corporate headquarters," said Truitt Allcott, spokeswoman for Owens & Minor. The administrative functions that occur at the Brentwood office will be taken over by Owens & Minor's headquarters in Virginia.

Owens & Minor, a distributor of disposable medical and surgical supplies, announced plans to acquire Medical Action in June, buying it for about $207 million, including assumed debt. The distributor, ranked 303rd in the Fortune 500, is Medical Action's largest customer, accounting for 45 percent of the manufacturer's sales in 2013.

Medical Action's two production facilities in North Carolina and Virginia, along with about 600 employees, will come under the supervision of Owens & Minor. While no specific number has been given, Allcott said a few Long Island employees may be relocated to other company facilities.

"We're very pleased with the acquisition," said Allcott. "Their expertise and the work that they do is a valuable service we can now bring to the market."