John Menard Jr.

John Menard Jr.
Born	John Robert Menard Jr. 22 1, 1940
Birthplace	Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman
Title	President, Menards
Known for	Founder of Menards
Education	University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire (BA)
Children	6, including Paul Menard

John Robert Menard Jr. (born January 22, 1940) is an American billionaire businessman and the founder and owner of Menards, one of the largest privately held home improvement retail chains in the United States. Based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the company operates hundreds of stores across the Midwestern United States, competing directly with national chains such as The Home Depot and Lowe's. Menard has served as president of the company since its founding and has maintained tight personal control over its operations, eschewing public stock offerings and keeping corporate decision-making closely held. Beyond his retail empire, Menard was involved for years in IndyCar racing as a team owner, and his son Paul Menard competed professionally in the NASCAR Cup Series. Known for his intensely private nature and hands-on management style, Menard built his fortune from a small post-frame building business into a multibillion-dollar retail operation. He is consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in the United States and the world, with Forbes and Bloomberg listing him among the top billionaires globally.

Early Life

John Robert Menard Jr. was born on January 22, 1940, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He grew up in the Eau Claire area, a midsize city in western Wisconsin that would later become the headquarters of his retail empire. Details about his parents and early family life remain sparse in public records, consistent with Menard's well-documented preference for personal privacy.

Menard displayed an entrepreneurial inclination from an early age. While still a young man in Eau Claire, he became involved in construction and building projects that would lay the groundwork for his future business ventures. The post-frame building industry, which specialized in pole barns and similar structures common in rural and agricultural communities throughout the Midwest, provided Menard with his initial entry into the construction materials trade.

His roots in Eau Claire remained a defining feature of his identity throughout his career. Unlike many American billionaires who relocated to major metropolitan centers, Menard kept both his personal residence and his corporate headquarters in the city where he was born. This connection to his hometown extended to philanthropic activities, including support for local institutions such as the YMCA.

Education

Menard attended the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, where he earned a bachelor's degree. The university later recognized him as one of its notable alumni. His educational background in the Eau Claire area reinforced his deep ties to the western Wisconsin community and provided a foundation for his entry into business. Unlike many founders of major American retail corporations, Menard did not attend a nationally prominent business school; instead, his business acumen was developed largely through direct entrepreneurial experience in the construction and building materials industries.

Career

Founding of Menards

John Menard Jr. entered the business world through the construction industry. He initially built post-frame buildings — a type of structure commonly used for agricultural and commercial purposes in the rural Midwest. This work gave him firsthand knowledge of building materials, supplier relationships, and the practical needs of customers in the region. Recognizing an opportunity in the retail sale of building materials, Menard transitioned from construction into retail, founding what would become Menards.

The company began as a modest operation, selling lumber and building supplies. Menard's approach from the outset was characterized by aggressive cost control, high-volume sales, and a focus on offering low prices to consumers. The company's early growth was driven by the do-it-yourself market and by contractors seeking competitively priced materials. Over time, Menards expanded its product offerings beyond lumber and basic building supplies to include a full range of home improvement products, hardware, tools, plumbing, electrical supplies, paint, garden equipment, and eventually groceries and general merchandise.

Growth into a Major Retailer

Under Menard's leadership, the company grew from a single location into a major Midwestern retail chain with stores across multiple states. Menards established a significant presence in states including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Kentucky, and Missouri. The stores are typically large-format retail locations, often exceeding 150,000 square feet, and are designed to serve both professional contractors and retail consumers.

A defining feature of Menards under John Menard's leadership has been its status as a privately held company. Unlike competitors such as The Home Depot and Lowe's, which are publicly traded, Menards has never issued public stock. This corporate structure has allowed Menard to maintain complete control over the company's operations, strategy, and finances without the oversight of outside shareholders or the disclosure requirements associated with public companies. The decision to remain private has been described as central to Menard's management philosophy.

Menard served as president of the company and was known for an exceptionally hands-on management style. Reports have described him as personally involved in virtually every aspect of the business, from store layouts and product selection to advertising and employee management. The company's advertising, which frequently features Menard's own voice in radio and television commercials with the signature tagline "Save Big Money at Menards," became one of the most recognizable regional advertising campaigns in the Midwest.

Management Style and Labor Practices

Menard's management approach attracted both admiration and criticism over the decades. His emphasis on cost control extended to labor practices, and the company operated without unionized employees. Reports indicated that Menards store managers faced financial penalties if union activity occurred at their locations, a practice that drew scrutiny from labor advocates and federal regulators.

The company faced legal issues related to federal labor law compliance. Menards was found to have violated federal labor laws on at least one occasion, and the company subsequently promised changes to its practices in response to regulatory findings. The labor practices at Menards reflected a broader corporate culture of rigorous cost management and centralized control that characterized John Menard's approach to business.

The company also faced other legal challenges over the years. A lawsuit alleged that Menard pressured an employee, Tomisue Hilbert, for sexual favors, a case that received media coverage and resulted in legal proceedings.

Forbes Rankings and Wealth

Menard's success with the home improvement chain placed him consistently among the wealthiest individuals in the United States. He appeared regularly on the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans. In 2007, he was included on the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. Forbes profiled Menard and his business in detailed articles in both 2003 and 2005, examining his management style and the growth of his retail empire.

His wealth has fluctuated with the performance of the retail sector and the broader economy, but Menard has remained one of the wealthiest residents of Wisconsin and one of the richest individuals in the Midwest. Bloomberg Billionaires Index has ranked him among the top 150 wealthiest people in the world. The Forbes global billionaires list similarly placed him among the top 100 wealthiest people globally.

IndyCar Racing

Outside of the retail business, Menard was involved in IndyCar racing as a team owner. He fielded cars in the Indianapolis 500 and other IndyCar events over a number of years, investing significant resources in the racing program. The Menard name became well known in American open-wheel racing circles during this period. His involvement in motorsports also extended through his family, as his son Paul Menard pursued a professional career in stock car racing, competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and other NASCAR divisions. Paul Menard's racing career was supported in part by sponsorship from the Menards retail chain, which served as a primary sponsor on his race cars.

Political Involvement

Menard was involved in political activities and conservative causes. A 2011 report by Politico identified him as a member of the Koch brothers' network of major political donors, contributing to a group of donors who each gave at least $1 million to organizations associated with Charles Koch and David Koch.

In 2020, Menard was named to a White House advisory group related to the business community's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The appointment was part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to engage business leaders in planning for the reopening of the American economy.

Personal Life

John Menard Jr. has six children, including Paul Menard, who competed professionally in NASCAR. Paul Menard raced in the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series over the course of his career, often carrying Menards sponsorship on his vehicles.

Menard is known for maintaining an exceptionally private personal life, particularly unusual for an individual of his wealth and prominence. He has rarely granted interviews to journalists and has avoided the public spotlight that many billionaire business figures seek or accept. His preference for privacy has been noted repeatedly in media profiles, which have described the challenge of reporting on a figure who actively avoids public attention.

He has maintained his primary residence in the Eau Claire, Wisconsin, area throughout his career, remaining connected to the community where he was born and where his company is headquartered. This rootedness in Eau Claire has been a consistent feature of his biography, distinguishing him from many peers in the American billionaire class who reside in coastal metropolitan areas.

The Menard family has been involved in philanthropic activities. The John and Fay Menard YMCA Tennis Center in the Chippewa Valley bears the family name, reflecting their support for local community organizations. The Menard family also made a $5 million gift to the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Recognition

Menard has been recognized primarily through his consistent presence on wealth rankings and through profiles in major business publications. His inclusion on the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans has been a recurring feature for decades, reflecting the sustained growth and profitability of the Menards retail chain.

The University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire has recognized Menard as one of its notable alumni, acknowledging his contributions to business and to the Eau Claire community.

Forbes published detailed profiles of Menard and his business practices in 2003 and 2005, examining the factors behind the growth of Menards into one of the largest home improvement retailers in the country. Milwaukee Magazine published a substantial profile in 2007 exploring his business empire and personal style.

His appointment to a White House advisory council in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic represented a form of recognition of his standing in the American business community, as the federal government sought input from major employers and business leaders on economic reopening strategies.

Legacy

John Menard Jr.'s primary legacy is the creation and sustained growth of Menards, which he built from a small post-frame building business into one of the largest home improvement retail chains in the United States. The company's presence across the Midwest has made it a significant employer in the region and a major competitor in the American home improvement retail market. Unlike many large American retailers that transitioned to public ownership to finance growth, Menard's insistence on keeping the company private stands as a distinctive feature of his business approach.

The Menards chain, with its large-format stores and aggressive pricing strategies, has shaped the competitive landscape of home improvement retail in the Midwestern United States. The company's expansion into a full-range retailer offering everything from building materials to groceries reflects Menard's willingness to adapt the business model over time while maintaining core principles of cost control and high volume.

Menard's involvement in motorsports left a mark on American racing, with the Menard name associated with IndyCar and NASCAR competition for years. His son Paul Menard's racing career ensured that the Menards brand maintained visibility in one of the most popular spectator sports in the United States.

His connection to Eau Claire, Wisconsin — maintaining both his residence and corporate headquarters in his hometown rather than relocating to a larger city — has been noted as an example of a major business figure remaining rooted in a smaller American community. The philanthropic activities associated with the Menard family name, including the YMCA Tennis Center and the gift to Ohio State University, represent contributions to both local and national institutions.

Menard's career also illustrates the complexities of American business leadership. While building a company that employs tens of thousands of workers across the Midwest, he has faced legal challenges and criticism over labor practices and personal conduct. His significant political donations and involvement in conservative political networks have placed him within broader debates about the influence of wealthy individuals in American politics.