Tetra Medical Supply

What Tetra Medical Supply does

Tetra Medical Supply Corp. is a U.S.-domiciled (Illinois) medical supply manufacturer and distributor founded in 1913, holding continuous operation in the healthcare industry for over 110 years. The company produces a niche product line centered on specialty bandages and orthopedic soft goods — most notably the proprietary Tetra-Flex™ Clip Free woven elastic bandage — alongside latex-free Esmarch bandages, eco-friendly tourniquets, casting supplies, athletic supporters, dressings, and a range of medical packaging products including pharmacy bags, lab specimen bags, and Rx shipping supplies. Tetra has been a certified woman-owned business since 1977, which qualifies it as a diversity supplier for healthcare procurement programs with supplier diversity mandates.

The company's go-to-market was historically direct-to-consumer and direct-to-business via phone (800-490-8830) and email ([email protected]), serving healthcare providers, hospitals, pharmacies, and laboratories. In 2025, Tetra Medical Supply was acquired by Action Health, and its products were integrated into Action Health's e-commerce platform (actionhealth.com) with a categorized online catalog, interactive PDF catalog, and downloadable sales sheets. The combined entity now offers a broader assortment — spanning medical packaging, pharmacy bags, hazardous drug bags, chemotherapy transport bags, equipment covers, and Rx shipping supplies — under the Action Health brand, while Tetra's product line and woman-owned certification continue within the portfolio. Revenue figures, pricing, and detailed ownership structure are not publicly disclosed, and headcount is reported at 1-10 employees.

Name

Tetra Medical Supply

Legal name

Tetra Medical Supply Corp.

Website

https://tetramed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tetra Medical Supply is a 110-year-old U.S. medical supply manufacturer and distributor of specialty bandages, orthopedic soft goods, and medical packaging. Acquired by Action Health in 2025, it now sells DTC via Action Health's e-commerce platform to hospitals, pharmacies, and labs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Supplies

NAICS

Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42345), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Supplies & Consumables Wholesale (Non-Device) (CRAOAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Hygiene Technical Textiles (Gauze/Drapes/Wipes/Barrier Fabrics) (IMAOADAD), Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Packaging (GMP, Tamper-Evident, Cold-Chain Packs) (TLAIAGAI), Diagnostic & Laboratory Packaging (Specimen Containers, Transport Tubes) (IMALAIAF)

Keywords

• Medical supplies distribution
• Orthopedic soft goods
• Elastic bandages
• Pharmacy packaging
• Lab specimen bags

Headquarters

HQ city

Niles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Medical Supplies Sales: Sale of medical supplies including bandages, orthopedic goods, hospital care products, and medical packaging to healthcare providers and facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tetra Medical Supply manufactures and distributes a comprehensive range of medical supplies, including elastic and adhesive bandages, orthopedic soft goods, latex-free Esmarch bandages, eco-friendly tourniquets, hospital and patient care products, pharmacy and lab specimen packaging, RX shipping supplies, equipment covers, splints, and the proprietary Tetra-Flex™ Clip Free woven elastic bandage. Products are sold to hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, laboratories, and healthcare facilities, with availability through the Action Health e-commerce platform and direct sales channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tetra-Flex™ Clip Free: Woven elastic bandage product line by Tetra Medical

Products and services

• General Medical Packaging A category of medical packaging products including clear zip bags, hang hole zip bags, open end poly bags, slider reclosable bags, and white block zip bags for healthcare providers and facilities.
• Pharmacy Bags A category of pharmacy packaging products including amber bags, chemotherapy transport bags, colored zip bags, and hazardous drug bags for retail and institutional pharmacies needing compliance packaging and hazardous drug handling.
• Lab Specimen Bags A category of laboratory specimen handling products including clear specimen bags, cleanroom bags, and tamper-evident specimen bags for laboratories and medical facilities.
• Orthopedic Soft Goods A category of orthopedic soft goods including abdominal binders, ankle supports, arm slings, athletic supporters/suspensories, and orthopedic shoes for healthcare providers and patients.
• Bandages A category of bandage products including adhesive bandages, Co-Flex cohesive bandage, and elastic bandages for wound care and medical applications.
• Hospital and Patient Care A category of hospital and patient care products including emesis bags, infectious waste liners, patient belonging bags, and post-mortem body bags for hospitals and healthcare facilities.
• Equipment Covers A category of equipment cover products including general equipment covers and x-ray cassette covers for medical imaging and healthcare equipment protection.
• Splints, Scissors & Tourniquets A category of medical instruments and EMS supplies including finger splints, limb splints, latex-free eco-friendly tourniquets, and related instruments for medical and emergency use.
• Dressings A category of dressing products including casting supplies, stockinette, and T-stretch gauze for wound care and orthopedic applications.
• RX Shipping Supplies A category of prescription shipping supplies including chill packs for temperature-controlled shipping, plastic shopping bags, and poly mailers for retail and institutional pharmacies.
• Tetra-Flex™ Clip Free Woven Elastic Bandage A proprietary clip-free woven elastic bandage offering convenience and ease of use for medical and orthopedic applications, with no need for separate fastening clips.
• Latex-Free Esmarch Bandages Latex-free Esmarch bandages for medical, surgical, and orthopedic applications, providing a safe alternative for patients and healthcare workers with latex sensitivities.
• Eco-Friendly Tourniquets Eco-friendly latex-free tourniquets for medical and emergency use, designed with environmentally conscious materials while maintaining clinical performance.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Action HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTetra Medical Supply Corp. has been acquired by Action Health, joining the Action Health family. This strategic acquisition enhances the combined entity's ability to provide high-quality medical products and services to customers. Tetra Medical will continue to operate with the same dedication to excellence, now backed by expanded resources and capabilities of the Action Health network.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• McKesson: Major U.S. healthcare distribution and pharmaceutical company that supplies medical-surgical products, packaging, and pharmacy supplies to hospitals and retail pharmacies, comparable to Tetra's distribution model.
• Owens & Minor: Medical supply distributor focused on acute care, home health, and supply chain services, with a product portfolio (wound care, patient care, surgical supplies) that directly mirrors Tetra's categories.
• Cardinal Health: Fortune-500 medical product distributor serving hospitals, pharmacies, and labs with medical, surgical, and laboratory supplies that overlap directly with Tetra's medical packaging, wound care, and patient care categories.
• Henry Schein: Large distributor of medical, dental, and animal health supplies, including wound care, orthopedic soft goods, and consumables, overlapping with Tetra's healthcare provider and pharmacy customer base.
• Medline Industries: Largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the U.S., offering bandages, exam gloves, drapes, packaging, and a broad clinical product portfolio directly comparable to Tetra's catalog but at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Cypress Medical Products: Manufacturer and distributor of disposable medical supplies, wound dressings, and patient care items for hospitals and home health, with comparable product breadth and customer types to Tetra.
• Dynarex: Manufacturer and distributor of disposable medical products including bandages, wound care, and patient care supplies, serving the same healthcare provider and institutional customer base as Tetra.
• Dukal Corporation: Medical supply manufacturer specializing in wound care, patient care, and exam-room disposables (bandages, gauze, surgical drapes) that compete with Tetra's core product lines.
• Medegen Medical Products: Mid-sized manufacturer of patient care and infection prevention products including emesis bags, bedpans, and specimen containers, overlapping with Tetra's hospital and patient care category.

Others

• Action Health: Acquiring company and now parent of Tetra Medical, focused on medical and pharmaceutical packaging, specimen bags, and shipping supplies, with substantial product overlap and shared e-commerce platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/actionhealthcom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tetra-medical-supply-corp

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tetra Medical Supply