- Menards
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Menards 
Type Private company Industry Retail (Home Improvement) Founded 1962 Headquarters Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S. Key people John Menard, Jr. (President)
Scott Collette (Chief Operating Officer)
Dennis Dixon (Operations Manager)Products Building materials, tools, hardware, garden supplies, electrical supplies, ceiling fans, light fixtures, cabinets, home appliances, doors, windows, paint, wood stain, wallpaper, plumbing supplies, carpet, vinyl, linoleum, groceries, automotive, pet supplies Revenue $8 billion (estimated) Employees 45,000 Website Menards Corporate Site
Menards eCommerce SiteMenards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.
The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
Contents
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 Depot and Lowe's. In 2009, Menard, Inc. was ranked 42nd[1] on Forbes' list of "America's Largest Private Companies."[2] The trade publication Home Channel News estimated 2007 sales at $8 billion.
Menards store in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Rumors of an initial public offering of company stock in the near future persist.
Store structure
Exterior of the Menards store in Ankeny, IowaEvery 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 240,000 sq ft (22,000 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, 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) Menards megastore in St. Paul, Minnesota. It followed in November 2006 with another 2-story store in Hodgkins, Illinois. In March 2009, Menards opened its flagship megastore in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. The Waukesha megastore is the largest Menards in the United States and has two glass elevators, two massive industrial escalators, and a snack shop. In April 2011, Menards opened one of its largest megastores in Bemidji, Minnesota, 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:
- Pittsburgh Paints
- Dutch Boy Paint
- Schrock Masterbrand, Medallion Elkay, and Kitchen Kompact (cabinets)
- Mastercraft (interior/exterior doors) (exclusive)
- Masterforce (Tools) (exclusive)
- Acoustic Ceiling Products
- Patriot Lighting
- Quantus Lighting
- Performax
- North Tech
- Guidesman
- Shell Rock Products (concrete products)
- Stanley Works (tools)
- Xtreme Garage
- Tool Shop {exclusive}
- FlorCraft and some good pizza
- Mastercraft Doors (doors)
- Masterpaws
- Backyard Creations
- Storage Shop
- Classic Decor
- Pumpkin Hollow
- Resolution
- Plumb Works
- Crestline and Peachtree, Jeld-Wen (windows)
- Turn of the Century (Ceiling Fans)
- Tru-Bolt (exclusive)
- Enchanted Garden
- Enchanted Forest
- Tuscany (Faucets)
- Perfect Shutters
- Ultradeck (composite decking)
- Homax Spray Textures
- Focal Point
- Sunforce Products
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. 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 Derecho.
In 1994, Menards sold the post-frame building division.
In 1998, Menards opened a second distribution center in Plano, Illinois.
In 2005, Menards created an eCommerce website called Menards Online Collections.
In 2007, Menards opened two more distribution centers in Holiday City, Ohio and Shelby, Iowa. The Holiday City, Ohio, complex is 669,000 square feet (62,200 m2) and the Shelby, Iowa, complex is 735,000 square feet (68,300 m2). [3]
Advertising
For many years, Menards' television commercials featured free-lance announcer Ray Szmanda, who became a cult figure as "the Menards Guy." In the late '90s, a young, hands-on woman temporarily took the role in Szmanda's absence. Recent commercials, however, feature Bo Landry in his place; although, a cartoon version of "the Menards Guy" still appears in Menards' print ads and in some in-store signs. The commercials end with the well-known jingle, "Save big money at Menards." (During the Christmas 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 banjo 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 racing. He started Team Menard 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.. 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 Menard, John Jr.'s son. Menard drove for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. from 2004-2008, Richard Petty Motorsports from 2009-2010. He now drives for Richard Childress Racing.
On October 29th, 2010, it was announced that Kevin Harvick Inc. has signed a multi-year sponsorship with Menards for the 2011 and 2012 Nationwide Series seasons. Paul Menard would move to KHI for 2011 and 2012, sharing the driver's seat with Kevin Harvick. [4]
- IRL IndyCar Series
- Ed Carpenter #20
- IRL Firestone Indy Lights Series
- Logan Gomez #23
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- Matt Crafton #88
- NASCAR Sprint Cup
- Robby Gordon #7 (always associate, sometimes primary)
- Paul Menard #27 (primary)
- NASCAR Nationwide Series
- Paul Menard, Kevin Harvick #33 (primary, along with Rheem, 2011 and 2012 seasons)
- NASCAR Wisconsin Challenge Series
- Charlie Menard #13
- NHRA Top Fuel
- Jack Beckman
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 (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.[5]
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.[5]
- In 1994, Wisconsin obtained a civil judgment against Menards for the unlicensed transportation and disposal of ash produced by incinerating "CCA"-treated lumber. Wood treated with CCA contains chromium, copper, and arsenic – 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.[5]
- 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.[5]
- 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).[5]
- 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.[5]
- 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 (0.24 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.[5]
- 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.[5]
References
- ^ "America's Largest Private Companies". Forbes.com. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/21/private-companies-09_Americas-Largest-Private-Companies_Rank_2.html. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- ^ "The Largest Private Companies". Forbes.com. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/21/biz_06privates_The-Largest-Private-Companies_Rank.html. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
- ^ Menards is building centers in Iowa, Ohio instead of Eau Claire : La Crosse Tribune
- ^ Kevin Harvick Inc. Announces Long-Term, Multi-Season Sponsorship Agreements with Rheem and Menards for the No. 33 Nationwide Series Car Kevin Harvick Inc. | Nationwide No. 33 News, October 29th, 2010
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Big Money - Features". Milwaukee Magazine. http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/CurrentIssue/full_feature_story.asp?NewMessageID=13642. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
Further reading
- Company history from Menard Team Member Handbook.
- Gary Shaw quote from an 10/15/06 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article by Rick Romell.
- August 9, 2006 Toledo Blade article
External links
Richard Petty Motorsports Series: Sprint Cup Series
Personnel: Richard Petty | Andrew Murstein | Doug Bergeron | Lisa Brown | Robbie Loomis | Sammy Johns | Brian Moffitt | Robert Miller
Former personnel: George Gillett | Ray Evernham
Partnerships and affiliations: Roush Fenway Racing | Yates Racing
Race drivers: 9. Marcos Ambrose | 43. A. J. AllmendingerCrew chiefs: 9. Todd Parrott | 43. Greg Erwin
Sponsors: 9. Stanley Black & Decker, DeWalt | 43. Best Buy
Former drivers: Aric Almirola | Casey Atwood | Erin Crocker | Bill Elliott | Kasey Kahne | Jeremy Mayfield | Paul Menard | Scott Riggs | Elliott Sadler | Reed Sorenson
Categories:- Companies based in Wisconsin
- Companies established in 1962
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Hardware stores of the United States
- Home improvement retailers of the United States
- Privately held companies based in Wisconsin
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