Founder and Owner of Menards

Eldest in a family of eight, John Robert Menard Jr. was born in 1940 to parents Rosemary and John Menard Sr. in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In a family where the values of hard work, frugality and independence were embedded in their very upbringing, he grew up with big dreams to start his own business. While attending a local Catholic high school, John Menard’s father planned for a pole barn to be constructed, and he inadvertently spent his summer of paid working with the crew. In a matter of two years, John Menard had learned enough to create his own crew to provide pole buildings himself around the 1960s when he was barely in his 20s.

Thus, it came to pass that Menards became a household name in the Midwestern region, particularly Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, Minnesota, and home base Wisconsin in 1972. As the third largest home improvement authority after Home Depot and Lowe’s, John Robert Menard Jr.’s company held its ground in the face of competition. One special store feature is their offer of full-service lumberyards, marking their difference from rival companies. Raking in over $6 billion in sales annually, it operates through its more than 37,000 dedicated employees. Indeed, the store chain’s slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” has boosted their performance under the leadership of its owner, President and Director.

Since 2001, John Menard has been involved with Polaris Industries Inc. as independent director and member of the Corporate Governance & Nominating Committee as well as the company’s Technology Committee.

In 2002, John Robert Menard Jr. became the American with the highest tax bill, with a $228 million personal federal income tax on a $593 million adjusted gross income. The year 2007 ranked him as the 155th on Forbes World’s Richest People, while 2009 saw him as the 132nd on the same list.

From 2007-2008 alone, John Menard has given $15 million to various non-profit organizations, and some $9,200 in political contribution to the Republican and Democratic parties. With his wealth, John Robert Menard Jr. financially aids a number of institutions like Regis High School.

One of his most high profile donations is the $15 million transformational gift for the establishment of Mayo Clinic’s Menard Transformational Fund for Education, as well as Luther Midelfort’s the Menard Center for Emergency Care. As a native of Eau Claire himself, he wanted to give back to the local community by funding the continued advancement of the first and largest integrate, not-for-profit group practice in the world.

John Menard Jr. is also the father of Paul Menard, a popular NASCAR driver.