Menards Logo PNG
Menards logo offers to refresh the interior and let it sparkle with new colors. Hypermarket products help address the premises’ shortcomings and create an attractive, eye-catching design.
Menards: Brand overview
Menards began in 1958, when John Menard Jr., a student from Wisconsin, built farm structures to pay for college. Demand from Midwest farmers grew quickly, and by late 1959, he had hired extra crews and bought a used 1946 truck and an old Ford tractor.
The company was founded in 1960 and incorporated in Wisconsin in 1962, the same year Walmart and Target opened their first stores. In 1964, Menard opened the first retail location in Eau Claire under the name Menard Cashway Lumber. The format was based on cash payments, bulk lumber buying, and weekend sales to customers who wanted materials without waiting for traditional yards.
By the late 1960s, Menards had added its own truss plant, which later became the Menard Building Division, producing steel siding, roofing, doors, decking, and treated lumber. The stores looked less like old lumberyards and more like discount retail spaces, with wide aisles, tiled floors, and organized shelving. In the 1970s and 1980s, Menards expanded into Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. By 1986, it had 34 stores and estimated sales of about $500 million.
The slogan “Save Big Money at Menards” was coined in the early 1970s by WAXX/WAYY employee Bob Holtan. In the 1990s, the chain entered Nebraska, Chicago, Indiana, and Michigan, while John Menard denied rumors of a Lowe’s takeover. The company paid a $1.7 million hazardous-waste fine in 1997, opened a major distribution center in Plano, Illinois, in 1998, and later built stores exceeding 200,000 square feet.
Meaning and History
The business that made John Menard a billionaire began in 1958 by constructing agricultural buildings. An enterprising young man assembled a team of builders and erected hangars to pay for college. Working in the suburbs earned money for studies and sparked a new business idea: residents needed boards. In 1960, John registered the Menard Cashway Lumber Company and, after graduation, devoted all his time to working in it. In 1964, he opened a sawmill with a store, gradually growing into a whole network with 12 distribution centers.
The company logo was updated when the brand “grew” from the previous visual sign. This happened twice due to network growth and assortment expansion. However, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1994, the emblem was no longer changed.
What is Menards?
John Menard’s major chain of construction hypermarkets is located in the Midwest of the United States. Includes 335 stores with an area of up to 10,000 sq. m, which employs 35 thousand people.
1960 – 1984
The first logo was dedicated to a sawmill and a lumber store. The company’s name was used for it: Menard Cashway Lumber, which is located on two levels.
At the top, in large letters, is the word Menard. It was common to name small private companies after the founder’s last name. The business became a family business and passed from father to son. The surname was associated with a particular activity among residents. By the time the company was registered, Menard was already known in Wisconsin for his buildings, and his name was a kind of brand. People recognized the name and were more willing to buy the product.
Below the main name, in smaller letters, -Cashway Lumber is added in cursive. The inscription said exactly what the company was offering: lumber for cash. As building structures in the suburbs increased, Menard noticed the demand for building materials and responded to it.
Next to the letter M, slightly hiding behind it, is a six-bladed green propeller. It was a symbol of woodworking and resembled the beams of a band sawmill wheel or a schematic representation of a saw blade. The blades seemed to crash into the letter M, plunging into it. The green color of the badge was associated with greenery, forests, and trees.
Three lines bordered the top and bottom of the logo: yellow, light brown, and brown. They were a symbol of processed and unprocessed boards, wood of different species.
1984 – today
By 1984, the business had outgrown the previous logo. It has expanded, and the list of goods has changed. The company was engaged in manufacturing tiles, metal products, nails, and wood products. John registered a new company, Menards Inc., and his store turned into a popular do-it-yourself outlet at the time.
So the logo has been updated. A new visual sign is the large white Menards inscription. His brothers worked with John, and the plural was added to the name. The mention of lumber has been removed. The three stripes at the top and bottom have shrunk to the bottom, arching the name. It consisted of three strokes: red, yellow, and orange in the form of a rainbow. The rainbow lifted the company, showing its heyday and rise.
1994 (unused)
In 1994, the company’s construction division was sold, and the business focused solely on home improvement stores. In this regard, the company attempted to rebrand. However, she was not successful. The new logo did not catch on and is practically not used.
Its basis was a green-schematic house that resembled the large buildings of the company’s stores. He pointed out that in retail outlets, you can buy everything for the house. And the green color personified the new life and prosperity of the renovated housing. Inside the house, in the center, is the white name Menards, underlined by a line consisting of three sections: yellow, orange, and red.
The white color of the name symbolizes brand concept renewal. The line symbolized the boards from which the enterprise began. The color changes represented the gradual development into an ever-larger network, from a home-country business (yellow section) to a major sales giant (red section).
Font and Colors
The main colors of the logo used are white, black, red, orange, and yellow.
The white letters of the name were a symbol of the renewal of the range. In addition, they symbolized a clean slate and white walls, alluding to home improvement from scratch, repairs, and materials available at the store. Black bold strokes and shadow made the inscription voluminous. They showed Menards’ purposefulness in this matter: to provide everything the buyer needs for repair and improvement.
The colors of the rainbow indicated the principles of the company:
- Red – dedication to your work. Menard does his own business and is very demanding of his employees. Does not recognize trade unions and fires everyone who supports them. Employees should be dedicated to working and serving customers better, not going on strike and seeking benefits. To achieve the goal, the businessman breaks any rules.
- Orange – everything you need for home and comfort. The range of stores is constantly expanding so that customers can purchase what they need without looking at competitors.
- Yellow – the lowest possible prices to bring joy to customers. Thanks to its production and the absence of intermediaries, Menard can reduce the prices of most goods. His managers constantly monitor competitors and even for a penny, but lower the price.
Orange is obtained by mixing yellow and red. Therefore, their sequential arrangement in the rainbow also indicated the use of building paints, the choice of colors, and materials for housing renovation.
The title font is similar to Summer Fling Regular but has individual, unique features.