CHICAGOBUSINESS.COM I JULY 31, 2023
Medline’s new boss has new bosses
Renaissance of the Chicago steakhouse New ones are popping up around the city, but they aren’t the traditional white-tablecloth spots
By Katherine Davis
Newly appointed Medline Industries CEO Jim Boyle is tasked with leading the medical products manufacturer and distributor through its next phase of growth while also paying down a massive debt load left by a leveraged buyout two years ago. Boyle, who was named chief executive in late June after a 27year tenure at Medline, officially
begins his new gig Oct. 1. He is the privately held company’s first leader not related to the founding Mills family, which launched Northfield-based Medline in 1966. “Five years ago, the Mills family was very intentional about establishing the succession process,” Boyle, 52, says during a recent interview at Medline’s headquarters. “We’ve been working on this for a while. This
JOHN R. BOEHM
The first CEO from outside the Mills family will answer to a board dominated by PE firms Jim Boyle
is a legacy I plan to continue.” But the Mills family no longer calls all the shots at Medline. Boyle reports to a board of directors dominated by private-equity firms that acquired control of See MEDLINE on Page 22
By Ally Marotti
Chicago’s steakhouse scene is entering a new era. Throughout the city, at least half a dozen steakhouses have recently opened or soon will. They are not your traditional Chicago-style steakhouse, with white tablecloths, big cuts of meat and buttery sides. They are niche, modern and have crafted their menus not around exces-
sive beef consumption, but around moderation. The new school of thought: Instead of wowing the consumer with the size of the steak, impress them with the preparation. There is Smoque Steak, which smokes its steaks before cooking them sous vide and searing them to order. There is Asador Bastian, a Basque steakhouse that works See STEAKHOUSE on Page 23
FORUM
A REMOTE POSSIBILITY How a remote and hybrid workforce can and should change workplaces, neighborhoods and the city I PAGE 11 VOL. 46, NO. 30 l COPYRIGHT 2023 CRAIN COMMUNICATIONS INC. l ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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