Frederik Gerhard Hendrik "Fred" Meijer (December 7, 1919 – November 25, 2011) was an American billionaire businessman who was the chairman of the Meijer hypermarket chain, headquartered near his former hometown in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[1]
Frederik Meijer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Frederik Gerhard Hendrik Meijer December 7, 1919 |
| Died | November 25, 2011 (aged 91) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Title | Chairman, Meijer |
| Spouse |
Lena Rader (m. 1946) |
| Children | Doug Meijer Hank Meijer Mark Meijer |
| Parents |
|
Early life
editMeijer was born in Greenville, Michigan,[1] the son of Gezina Mantel and Hendrik Meijer, Dutch immigrants who had married in Greenville in 1912.[2] In 1934, at age 14, he worked with his father Hendrik to found Meijer's North Side Grocery in Greenville.[1]
Career
editIn 1962, he launched Meijer Thrifty Acres with his father and pioneered one-stop shopping.[1] He inherited the company after the death of his father in 1964.[1] In 1990, he handed over the company to his sons, Doug and Hank, although he remained the chairman of the board until his death.[1]
As of September 2011, he was worth US$5 billion.[1] He was the 60th richest person in the United States at the time of his death.[1][3]
Personal life
editIn 1946, he married Lena Rader (1919–2022), the daughter of farmers, who had been a cashier in one of his stores.[2] They had three sons, Doug, Hank and Mark Meijer.[4] His grandson Peter was the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023.[5] Meijer died on November 25, 2011, at the Spectrum Health System in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after suffering a stroke in his Grand Rapids home.[6] His wife Lena died at 102 years old on January 15, 2022.[7]
Legacy
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Meijer helped establish the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.[8] An Honors College at Grand Valley State University is named for him.[9] A Chair in Dutch culture at Calvin University is also named for him.[10] The Frederik Meijer Trail in Kent County, Michigan, and the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park are named after him following donations by the Frederik and Lena Meijer Foundation.[11][12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h "Frederik G.H. Meijer". Forbes.com. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "Meijer, Fred and Lena | Learning to Give". Archived from the original on March 25, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Forbes 400 2016". Forbes.com. September 28, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ Carmichael, Michael (August 20, 2009). "Meijer at 75 – Lessons from a family that has learned to work together over three generations. – Corp! Magazine". Corpmagazine.com. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Michigan Election Results: Third Congressional District". The New York Times. November 3, 2020. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
- ^ Ed Riojas Illustration (November 26, 2011). "Fred Meijer, West Michigan billionaire grocery magnate, dies at 91". MLive.com. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ Malec, Jerry. "Wife of retail giant Frederik Meijer, Lena Meijer dies at 102".
- ^ "About". Meijer Gardens. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Frederik Meijer Honors College – Grand Valley State University". Gvsu.edu. January 27, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
- ^ "Frederik Meijer Chair – Dutch – Calvin College". Retrieved June 28, 2017.
- ^ King, Kyla & Wilson, Rick (December 6, 2006). "Bike Trail Planned near South Beltline on Track". The Grand Rapids Press. p. B1.
- ^ Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Further reading
edit- Meijer, Fred (1998). Just Call Me Fred: 101 Thoughts on People, Business and Life in General. Grand Rapids: Meijer. OCLC 40640126.
- ten Harmsel, Larry; Smith, Bill (2009). Fred Meijer: Stories of His Life. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8028-6460-4. OCLC 262878972.