Menards is a chain of
home improvementHome improvement, home renovation or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home.-Types of home improvement:...
stores in the
Midwestern United StatesThe Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
.
The privately held company headquartered in
Eau Claire, WisconsinEau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
has 262 stores in 13 states:
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
,
MichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
,
IndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
,
IllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
,
WisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
,
MinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
,
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
,
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
,
NebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
,
KansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
,
South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
,
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, and
WyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
.
Industry ranking
Since Menard, Inc. is not publicly traded, it does not release sales figures. It is generally believed to be the third largest (by sales) home improvement company in the United States, behind
The Home DepotThe Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
and
Lowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
. In 2009, Menard, Inc. was ranked 42nd on
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
' list of "America's Largest Private Companies." The trade publication Home Channel News estimated 2007 sales at $8 billion.
Rumors of an
initial public offeringAn initial public offering or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a private company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises...
of company stock in the near future persist.
Store structure
Every Menards store shares a common structure. Each store is primarily divided by departments: building materials, hardware, electrical, millwork, wall coverings, plumbing and housewares, floor coverings, cabinets and appliances, and groceries. Other areas of the store include the front end (cashiers, office functions, carryouts, etcetera) and the receiving crew (responsible for the lumber yard, shipments between the store and the distribution centers, and other delivery and merchandise logistics). In a typical store there is a store manager, two assistant managers, a department manager, and various salesfloor team members , which is dependent upon the guest volume typical at that individual store. Some departments are combined dependent upon store volume and guest traffic or only have a single assistant manager.
Menards stores are divided into categories based on store size and product range. These categories range from P1 (Prototype size 1) to P5 (prototype size 5), Hardware Plus (smaller than a P1 with fewer building materials item selections) and non-prototype (usually stores that have moved into pre-existing locations or locations where large prototype stores will not fit, such as the 2-story stores).
Recently, the 240000 sq ft (22,296.7 m²) and larger Menards stores began selling groceries. By adding a second story mezzanine for less often accessed items, space can be made for groceries on the main floor.
In March 2005, the company opened the first 2-story, 300000 sq ft (27,870.9 m²) Menards megastore in St. Paul, Minnesota. It followed in November 2006 with another 2-story store in
Hodgkins, IllinoisHodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census.A large United Parcel Service sorting facility, known as CACH, is located partly in Hodgkins and partly in nearby Willow Springs on the outskirts of Chicago...
. In March 2009, Menards opened its
flagshipA flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
megastore in
Waukesha, WisconsinWaukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
, a suburb of Milwaukee. The Waukesha megastore is the largest Menards in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and has two glass
elevatorAn elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s, two massive industrial escalators, and a snack shop. In April 2011, Menards opened one of its largest megastores in
Bemidji, MinnesotaBemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
, with a full grocery section and two different levels of shopping.
Brands
Menards also owns and exclusively sells some of its own brands. Some of the brands found at the Menards stores are:
Menards offers its customers about 300,000,000 products in stock and even more through a Special Order service.
Company history
In 1959,
John Menard, Jr.John R. Menard, Jr. is an American entrepreneur who is the founder and owner of Menards, a major Midwestern home improvement store chain, and a former long time Indycar racing team owner in CART, IRL with Team Menard...
began building post-frame buildings to finance his college education. By 1959, Menard found it necessary to hire extra crews, and to purchase more equipment to keep up with demand. After graduating from college in 1962, Menard purchased land in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and built an office and shop. Menards was founded at this time in 1962.
When post-frame building customers often inquired about the possibility of purchasing lumber and other products, Menard opened the first Menards Cashway Lumber.
In 1969, Menard began adding manufacturing plants at the Eau Claire site. These plants included facilities for making trusses, treated lumber, boards, pre-hung doors, steel and nails. A distribution center was also added.
On July 15, 1980 Menards headquarters in Eau Claire was seriously damaged by the
Western Wisconsin DerechoThe Western Wisconsin Derecho was a derecho, or severe weather system, that occurred through several counties of Western Wisconsin on July 15, 1980. It caused nearly $160M in damage and one person was killed. At the time, it was the worst natural disaster in Wisconsin history...
.
In 1994, Menards sold the post-frame building division.
In 1998, Menards opened a second distribution center in
Plano, IllinoisPlano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States near Aurora, with a population of 5,633 at the 2000 census. The city is rapidly growing with new subdivisions such as Lakewood Springs completed and several other developments under construction or in the planning stages. Former Speaker...
.
In 2005, Menards created an eCommerce website called Menards Online Collections.
In 2007, Menards opened two more distribution centers in
Holiday City, OhioHoliday City is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 49 at the 2000 census. The village of Holiday City was incorporated on June 24, 1997.-Geography:Holiday City is located at ....
and
Shelby, IowaShelby is a city in Pottawattamie and Shelby counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 696 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shelby is located at ....
. The Holiday City, Ohio, complex is 669000 square feet (62,152.1 m²) and the Shelby, Iowa, complex is 735000 square feet (68,283.7 m²).
Advertising
For many years, Menards' television commercials featured free-lance
announcerAn announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
Ray SzmandaRaymond Jack Szmanda, Sr. is a radio and television announcer who became well-known across the midwestern United States for his "Menards Guy," who has advertised for the home improvement store for more than two decades. He continues to periodically make new ads, and a comic likeness of himself...
, who became a cult figure as "the Menards Guy." In the late
'90sFile:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, a young, hands-on woman temporarily took the role in Szmanda's absence. Recent commercials, however, feature Bo Landry in his place; although, a
cartoonA cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
version of "the Menards Guy" still appears in Menards' print ads and in some in-store signs. The commercials end with the well-known
jingleA jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
, "
Save big money at Menards." (During the
ChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
shopping season the jingle changes to "
Warm seasons greetings to you all from Menards!" as well as Spanish language commercials ending with "Garda mucho dinero en Menards!"
Menards commercials are also accompanied with
banjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
music played by Gary Shaw of Wisconsin. In reference to creating the musical piece, Shaw said, "I just started playing on it and they said, 'That's perfect; that's exactly what we need.' Took me a half an hour. I got $50 for a one-time fee, and I've had to listen to that commercial every day for 20 years." Spanish commercials are accompanied with a mariachi mix of the banjo accompaniment.
Racing interests
Founder John Menard, Jr. is active in
auto racingAuto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
. He started
Team MenardTeam Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...
which raced at the Indy 500. Menards also sponsors drivers in many other leagues. It has had its best success come with its Team Menards Indy 500 efforts in 1994, 1995, and 1996. In 2004 it affiliated with
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
. Since then, most of Earnhardt's Busch Series wins have been in Menards-liveried cars. Following Earnhardt's move to Hendrick Motorsports. The Menards logo is now mainly found on the #27 of
Paul MenardPaul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
, John Jr.'s son. Menard drove for
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
from 2004-2008, Richard Petty Motorsports from 2009-2010. He now drives for
Richard Childress RacingRCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
.
On October 29th, 2010, it was announced that
Kevin Harvick Inc.Kevin Harvick Incorporated was a NASCAR team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana, who herself is the daughter of a former Busch Series driver, John Linville...
has signed a multi-year sponsorship with Menards for the
2011The 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season was the thirtieth season of semi-professional stock car racing in the United States. The season included thirty-four races, beginning with the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway...
and 2012 Nationwide Series seasons. Paul Menard would move to KHI for 2011 and 2012, sharing the driver's seat with
Kevin HarvickKevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
.
- IRL IndyCar Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
- IRL Firestone Indy Lights Series
The IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
- Logan Gomez
Logan Gomez is an American race car driver from Crown Point, Indiana who most notably competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series ....
#23
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- Matt Crafton
Matthew Crafton is an American race car driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He currently drives the #88 Menards Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing.-Early career:...
#88
- NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup
- Robby Gordon
Robert W. "Robby" Gordon is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series...
#7 (always associate, sometimes primary)
- Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
#27 (primary)
- NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nationwide Series
- Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
, Kevin HarvickKevin Michael Harvick is an American stock car auto racing race car driver and car owner currently competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No. 29 Budweiser/Jimmy John's/Rheem/Okuma/Realtree Outdoors/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Impala...
#33 (primary, along with RheemRheem is a privately held manufacturing company that started in 1927 as a supplier of packagings to the petroleum industry.-Divisions:*Rheem Water Heating*Ruud Water Heating*Rheem Air conditioning*Ruud Air Conditioning Division*Solahart*Raypak...
, 2011 and 2012 seasons)
- NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Wisconsin Challenge Series
- Charlie Menard
Charlie Menard was Chief Operating Officer of the Menards home improvement store chain until late 2007. He now heads up the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Menards Distribution Center. Named after his father, Larry Menard, Charlie never goes by his given name "Lawrence"...
#13
- NHRA Top Fuel
- Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman is a professional drag racer who currently drives a NHRA Fuel Funny Car for Don Schumacher Racing. He is known in the drag racing community as "Fast Jack"....
Family-run business
John Menard Jr.'s brother, Larry, served as Menards Operations Manager for 40 years. Larry retired on March 31, 2009. Dennis Dixon ,the longtime Assistant Operations Manager, replaced him. Larry's son
Charlie Charlie Menard was Chief Operating Officer of the Menards home improvement store chain until late 2007. He now heads up the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Menards Distribution Center. Named after his father, Larry Menard, Charlie never goes by his given name "Lawrence"...
(actually named Larry as well, born 1973) served as the COO until October, 2007 when he became Manager of the Eau Claire Distribution center. John Menard, III ("J.R." Menard) is the current Corporate Treasurer.
Conflicts
Concerns have arisen concerning the treatment of Menards employees, and how situations are handled by the company. These concerns are often seen in how they treat corporate employees within the company. The typical disciplinary policy has been offering relocation, lower wage, and demotion when conflicts develop between executives and employees. This often results in the employee quitting his or her employment with the company.
Other environmental conflicts include:
- Wisconsin DNR officials cited Menards at least 13 times since 1976 for ignoring or violating state regulations related to air and water pollution and hazardous waste.
- In 1994, Wisconsin obtained a civil judgment against Menards for the unlicensed transportation and disposal of ash produced by incinerating "
CCAChromated copper arsenate is a wood preservative used for timber treatment since the mid-1930s. It is a mix of chromium, copper and arsenic formulated as oxides or salts. It preserves the wood from decay fungi, wood attacking insects, including termites, and marine borers...
"-treated lumber. Wood treated with CCA contains
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
,
copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, and
arsenicArsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As, atomic number 33 and relative atomic mass 74.92. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in conjunction with sulfur and metals, and also as a pure elemental crystal. It was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250.Arsenic is a metalloid...
– both chromium VI and arsenic are categorized by the US EPA as carcinogens. It is considered hazardous waste and requires proper disposal in a licensed landfill. The company was fined $160,000.
- In 1997, John Menard (Menards CEO/President/Founder) was caught using his personal pickup truck to haul plastic bags of chromium- and arsenic-laden wood ash to his home for disposal with his household trash. Menard pleaded no contest to felony and misdemeanor charges involving records violations, unlawful transportation, and improper disposal of hazardous waste. Menard and his company were fined $1.7 million for 21 violations.
- In 2003, the Minnesota attorney general charged that Menards manufactured and sold arsenic-tainted mulch in packaging labeled “ideal for playgrounds and for animal bedding.” Warning labels from the CCA-treated wood were found in the mulch. The EPA recommends that CCA-treated wood not be converted into mulch. The case is still pending (as of 2008).
- In 2005, Menards agreed to a $2 million fine after Wisconsin DNR officials found a floor drain in a company shop that they believed was used to dump paint, solvents, oil and other waste into a lagoon that fed into a tributary of the Chippewa River. The sanction broke the previous record fine of $1.7 million set by Menard in 1997.
- In 2006, the construction of a $112 million warehouse became a campaign issue in the Wisconsin governor’s race. The warehouse was to be erected by filling in a 0.6 acre (0.2428116 ha) bean field the DNR considers a seasonal wetland used by migrating tundra swans. Menards offered to build a wetland more than twice its size as a replacement, but was rejected by Scott Humrickhouse, a DNR regional director. Humrickhouse said that solution could be used “only when every alternative for saving the original wetland was exhausted.” The increasingly heated dispute got considerable media coverage, with a DNR warden calling Menard’s general counsel a “legal bitch” and the company threatening to move jobs out of Wisconsin. Tempers seemed to cool after Gov. Jim Doyle arranged $4.2 million in state aide to help the company expand its Eau Claire manufacturing headquarters. Menard had previously contributed $20,000 to Doyle’s campaign.
- Also in 2006: The US Environmental Protection Agency issued an administrative order against Menards for damaging a Sioux Falls, S.D., stream that ran through its property by filling in 1,350 linear feet of the stream and replacing it with a 66-inch storm sewer pipe.
Further reading
- Company history from Menard Team Member Handbook.
- Gary Shaw quote from an 10/15/06 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
article by Rick Romell.
- August 9, 2006 Toledo Blade article
External links