Menards

Menard, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (home improvement)
Founded	1960
Founder	John Menard Jr.
Headquarters	Eau Claire , United States
Area served	15 states in the Midwest, United States
Key people	John Menard Jr. (founder and owner)
Products	Home improvement goods, groceries (in larger stores)

Menard, Inc., known commercially as Menards, is a prominent American big-box retailer specializing in home improvement, headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It holds the position of the third-largest home improvement chain in the United States, trailing only Lowe's and Home Depot, with a network of 341 stores spread across 15 states in the Midwest. The company remains under private ownership by its founder, John Menard Jr..

20th century

In 1958, John Menard Jr. started constructing post-frame buildings to support his college expenses. After earning his degree from Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire (currently University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire) in 1962, he acquired property in Eau Claire to establish both an office and workshop. The business was initially founded in 1960 and officially incorporated two years later. The inaugural Menards hardware outlet launched in 1964.

During the late 1960s, Menards broadened its manufacturing capabilities by inaugurating a truss production facility, which later became the Menard Building Division. This division produced steel siding, roofing materials, doors, decking, treated lumber, and other construction components. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Menards extended its reach into Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska (1990), Illinois (1991), as well as Indiana and Michigan (1992). After 36 years operating within the pole building sector, the Menard Building Division was divested in 1994.

Initially operating under the name Menard Cashway Lumber, the company eliminated "Cashway Lumber" from its title in the early 1980s and has since been known simply as Menards.

21st century

By the year 2000, Menards celebrated the opening of its 150th store and expanded into Ohio during the early part of that decade. In 2007, it unveiled its third and fourth distribution centers located in Holiday City, Ohio (669,000 square feet), and Shelby, Iowa (735,000 square feet), to support its growing store network. Expansion efforts proceeded with new entries into Missouri in 2008; Wyoming in 2009 with stores in Casper, Gillette, and Cheyenne; Kansas in 2011; and Kentucky in 2012 with multiple outlets including Owensboro, Louisville, and Bowling Green.

In 2020, Menards made its debut in West Virginia by opening four stores situated in Wheeling, Morgantown, Barboursville, and Bridgeport. Plans were also announced for two additional locations in Parkersburg and Charleston to further enhance regional presence.

After facing delays, construction began in spring 2022 on a fifth manufacturing and distribution center based in Ravenna, Ohio. This $52 million facility is intended to facilitate growth into Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania markets. Additionally, Menards revealed plans for its first Pennsylvania store located in Washington; however, a second planned site in Uniontown has experienced postponements.

Groceries

Since 2007, Menards locations measuring at least 240,000 square feet have incorporated grocery departments offering items such as frozen pizza, milk, eggs, snacks, and canned foods. These larger stores also carry office supplies, pet care products, and mattresses—broadening their merchandise selection to attract a wider customer base.

Advertising

Menards utilizes a diverse advertising approach that includes weekly print circulars alongside television and radio promotions. Their signature banjo-driven jingles—created by Gary Shaw from Appleton, Wisconsin—play a key role in brand awareness. The well-known tagline "Save big money at Menards," delivered by Ray Szmanda—the company’s longtime spokesperson from 1976 until 1998 and intermittently through 2018—has become central to their marketing efforts. During holiday seasons, commercials feature a female chorus singing "Warm season's greetings to you all from Menards!" This jingle was introduced in 1986 along with the slogan "Helping You Build America’s Heartland." The original "Save Big Money" jingle lyrics were written by Robert Holtan of WAXX/WAYY Radio, who had a longstanding connection with founder John Menard. To reach Spanish-speaking audiences, Menards airs commercials combining mariachi music with banjo sounds concluding with "¡Ahorrar mucho dinero en Menards!"

Auto racing

John Menard began his involvement in IndyCar racing during the early 1980s, initially working alongside driver Herm Johnson. His primary focus was the Indianapolis 500, frequently utilizing stock block Buick V6 engines. Following Buick's departure from the sport, Menard purchased their engine manufacturing equipment and developed the Menard V6 engines. Scott Brayton earned two back-to-back pole positions at the Indy 500 driving for Menard before his tragic accident in 1996. Tony Stewart made his initial Indy 500 appearances with Menard, and in 1992, Al Unser Sr. secured the team's highest placement (third) as well as the best finish ever recorded for the Buick/Menard V6 powerplant.

Menards has been a sponsor for numerous drivers, including John Menard’s son, Paul Menard, who claimed victory at the 2011 Brickyard 400 with Richard Childress Racing under the Menards banner; other sponsored racers include Robby Gordon, P. J. Jones, Brandon Jones, Matt Crafton, Simon Pagenaud, Ryan Blaney, and Matt DiBenedetto. Since 2016, Menards has played a significant sponsorship role with Team Penske and acts as the title sponsor for events in both the Xfinity Series and the ARCA Racing Series.

In 2023, the partnership between Menards and Matt Crafton became NASCAR’s longest-running driver-sponsor relationship, overtaking the previous record held by STP and Richard Petty.

Industry rankings

In 2021, Menards was positioned 26th on Forbes’ ranking of "America's Largest Private Companies," with estimated revenues of approximately US$11.8 billion. By 2022, it had moved to 34th place on the National Retail Federation's "100 Top Retailers" list.

Menards earned second place in J.D. Power’s 2022 home improvement retailer customer satisfaction survey and advanced to first place in the 2024 edition, leading national customer satisfaction within the sector.

By 2022, Forbes elevated Menards to 28th on its "America's Largest Private Companies" list, estimating revenues had grown to US$13 billion.

Controversies

A 2007 report from Milwaukee Magazine revealed that Menards had accumulated more regulatory infractions related to air and water pollution as well as hazardous waste management than any other company in Wisconsin. The firm was also characterized as strongly anti-union, reportedly avoiding employment of individuals with union shop backgrounds.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a cease and desist order against Menards following 18 consumer complaints alleging price gouging on products such as face masks and bleach. Nessel stressed the importance of enforcing consumer protection laws against major corporations amid the public health crisis.

At the onset of the pandemic, Menards enforced a policy prohibiting children under 16 and non-service animals from entering stores, which faced criticism from single parents without childcare alternatives. This restriction was subsequently eased.