Menard proposes a 100-job distribution and manufacturing facility in Lawrence

Home improvement retailer Menard Inc. has proposed opening a $25 million distribution center and manufacturing facility in an industrial park in Lawrence.

The operation, which would create about 100 jobs, would become the first tenant in VenturePark, a more than 200-acre development that was formerly the home of a Farmland Industries nitrogen plant.

Midwest Manufacturing, a division of Wisconsin-based Menard, would operate the facility, according to a statement from the Economic Development Corp. of Lawrence and Douglas County. The company supports the retail stores by handling such things as door manufacturing, steel siding and roofing, countertops, concrete blocks and trusses.

The company must still complete property and engineering examinations of its 90-acre site, and the project is contingent on receiving necessary permits and approvals, the development organization said.

The organization also said the Menard division will receive a local assistance package, which also requires final approval. Details of the assistance package were not disclosed.

The Lawrence area economic development organization said it worked with several regional partners to attract Menard, including the Kansas Department of Commerce and the state of Kansas.

“This is the perfect opportunity to bring manufacturing jobs back to Lawrence,” said Brady Pollington, vice president of the Lawrence-Douglas County economic development group.

Menard recently opened a retail store in Lawrence.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Menard proposes a 100-job distribution and manufacturing facility in Lawrence."