Menard, Inc., known as Menards, is a large home improvement store chain based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It is the third largest home improvement retailer in the United States, following Lowe's and Home Depot. Menards operates 341 stores across 15 U.S. states, mainly in the Midwest and the Mid-South region. The company is privately owned by its founder, John Menard Jr.

History

In 1958, John Menard Jr. started building post-frame buildings to help pay for his college education. By the end of 1959, he needed to hire more workers and buy more equipment to meet the growing demand. After graduating from Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire (now University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) in 1962, Menard bought land in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and built an office and shop. The company was started in 1960 and officially registered as a company in 1962. The first Menards hardware store opened in 1964. By the late 1960s, Menards opened a truss plant to make more building materials on-site. This plant later became the Menard Building Division, which produced steel siding and roofing, doors, decking, treated lumber, and other materials. Between the 1970s and 1980s, Menards opened stores in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company expanded to Nebraska in 1990, Illinois in 1991, and Indiana and Michigan in 1992. Menards sold the Menard Building Division in 1994, spending 36 years in the pole building industry.

Menards was originally called Menard Cashway Lumber. In the early 1980s, the name "Cashway Lumber" was removed, and the company became known as Menards. The name was spelled with an apostrophe-s until the 1980s.

In 2000, Menards opened its 150th store. During the early and mid-2000s, the company expanded into Ohio.

In 2007, Menards opened its third and fourth distribution centers in Holiday City, Ohio, and Shelby, Iowa. These centers are 669,000 square feet and 735,000 square feet, respectively. In 2008, the company expanded into Missouri. In 2009, Menards opened its first store in Wyoming, in Casper, followed by locations in Gillette and Cheyenne. In 2011, the company expanded into Kansas. In 2012, Menards opened its first store in Kentucky, in Owensboro. Six more stores followed in Kentucky: one in Louisville, one in Paducah, one in Elizabethtown, one in Florence, one in Bowling Green, and one in Richmond.

In 2020, Menards expanded into West Virginia, opening four stores: one in Wheeling, one in Morgantown, one in Barboursville, and one in Bridgeport. A fifth store will open in Parkersburg, followed by a sixth in Charleston.

A fifth manufacturing and distribution center in Ravenna, Ohio, began construction in Spring 2022 after a two-year delay. This center will support Menards' expansion into Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. In 2022, Menards announced plans to open its first store in Pennsylvania, in Washington. A second store in Uniontown has been delayed.

Groceries

In 2007, Menards stores that are 240,000 sq ft (22,000 m²) or larger began selling groceries. At these stores, shoppers can buy items such as frozen pizza, milk, eggs, everyday snacks, and different types of canned goods. These Menards locations also sell items like office supplies, pet supplies, and mattresses.

Advertising

Menards prints weekly newspaper ads and broadcasts television and radio advertisements. Radio and television ads often include banjo music, similar to bluegrass music, played by Gary Shaw from Appleton, Wisconsin. Ray Szmanda was the "Menards Guy" who used the slogan "Save big money at Menards" in television ads from 1976 to 1998 and occasionally until his death in 2018. Kim Larsen took over Szmanda's role in his absence until 1999. During the Christmas and holiday season, radio and television ads usually feature a different jingle, "Warm season's greetings to you all from Menards!" sung by a female chorus since 1986. The same year, the jingle "Helping You Build America’s Heartland" was created. In 1990, the company returned to using banjo music. Robert (Bob) Holtan from WAXX/WAYY Radio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, wrote the lyrics for the "Save Big Money" jingle in the early 1970s. Holtan was friends with John Menard and worked as a DJ at WAXX/WAYY Radio at the time.

Spanish language commercials (which include a mix of mariachi and banjo music) end with the phrase "¡Ahorrar mucho dinero en Menards!"

John Menard became involved in Indycar racing in the early 1980s, working with his neighbor, driver Herm Johnson. Menard later owned race cars, focusing on the Indianapolis 500 and using stock Buick V6 engines. After Buick left the sport, Menard bought the engine equipment from Buick and produced the engines under the name Menard V6. Driver Scott Brayton won two consecutive Indy 500 poles for Menard but died in a practice crash before the 1996 race. Tony Stewart had his first Indy 500 starts with Menard. In 1992, Al Unser Sr. achieved the highest finish for Menard (3rd place) and the best result for the Buick/Menard V6 engine in the Indy 500. Menards has supported many drivers, including Paul Menard (John Menard's son), who won his only NASCAR Cup race in the 2011 Brickyard 400 in a Menards-sponsored car; Robby Gordon; P. J. Jones; Brandon Jones; Matt Crafton; Simon Pagenaud; Ryan Blaney; and Matt DiBenedetto. Menards began sponsoring Team Penske in 2016. Menards is also the title sponsor of races in the Xfinity Series and the official sponsor for the ARCA Racing Series.

In 2023, the partnership between Menards and Matt Crafton became the longest-lasting driver/sponsorship relationship in NASCAR, surpassing the partnership between STP and Richard Petty.

Industry rankings

In 2021, Menards was ranked 26th on Forbes' list of "America's Largest Private Companies," with an estimated revenue of US$11.8 billion. In 2022, Menards was ranked 34th on the National Retail Federation's list of "100 Top Retailers."

In 2022, Menards was ranked second in a J.D. Power survey for customer satisfaction among home improvement retail stores. In the same company's 2024 survey, Menards was ranked first and had the highest customer satisfaction among national home improvement retail stores.

In 2022, Menards was ranked 28th on Forbes' list of "America's Largest Private Companies," with an estimated revenue of US$13 billion.

Controversies

In 2007, Milwaukee Magazine reported that Menards had more violations related to air and water pollution and improper disposal of hazardous waste than any other company in Wisconsin. The magazine also said that Menards does not hire people who have ever worked in a union, even if they were teenagers at the time.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan's Attorney General, Dana Nessel, sent Menards a cease and desist letter after receiving 18 complaints about price gouging on items like face masks and bleach. Nessel stated, "Big box stores must follow the Michigan Consumer Protection Act and the Governor's Executive Order. Large companies must follow the rules, and my office will work to ensure consumers are treated fairly. Businesses should not raise prices unfairly to make more money during a crisis." Nessel gave Menards 10 days to respond to the letter or face possible legal action.

At the start of the pandemic, Menards created a rule that banned children under 16 from entering its stores, which upset single parents who did not have other childcare options. The rule was later changed to be less strict.

Gallery

• Menards main office in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
• A Menards store with two levels
• A section for lighting products
• The interior of the store
• The interior of the store