2 Michigan families ranked among richest in America
Elissa Robinson
Two well-known Michigan families have been named on Forbes’ roster of America’s wealthiest families.
The Meijer family, known for its grocery store empire worth $ 15.9 billion, is ranked 27th on the magazine’s list of 45 families worth at least $10 billion. The supermarket chain has headquarters in Grand Rapids.
The Stryker family, known for their Stryker Corp. medical supply company, was valued at $15.9 billion and is tied for the 27th spot, along with the Marriott family of Maryland. Stryker’s company headquarters is located in Kalamazoo.
The richest American family by a wide margin is the Walton family, descendants of Walmart founders Sam and Bud Walton. The seven family members share a net worth of $267 billion, more than double the Mars family — owners of the candy empire — who came in at No. 2 on the list at $117 billion.
Meijer family
The Meijer family’s legacy started in Greenville, Michigan, in 1934 during the Great Depression. Hendrik Meijer was a Dutch immigrant who used $338.75 worth of merchandise to open a small grocery store in the city. Together with his son, Frederick Meijer, they helped pioneer the concept of the modern supercenter. By the 1960s and 70s, Meijer had several stores across the state, eventually expanding into neighboring states. Today, the Meijer grocery giant has more than 240 stores across six states, according to its website.
Doug, Hank and Mark Meijer, all sons of Frederick Meijer, own the grocery chain together today and are on the company’s board of
Meijer
directors, according to Forbes.com.
Stryker family
The Stryker family story, according to the company’s website, started in the 1930s with Homer Stryker, an orthopedic surgeon-by-day who made surgical beds and medical products after work to help meet his patient’s needs. By 1941, as interest in his products grew, he founded the Stryker company to produce them. He died in 1980. Today, the company makes implants for joint replacement, surgical equipment, and other medical devices.
Homer Stryker’s granddaughter, Ronda Stryker, sits on the company’s board of directors, and together with two other grandchildren, owns an estimated 11% of the company.
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Stryker