Richard Merillat is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and the retired President/CEO of

Merillat Industries Merillat Industries was founded in Adrian, Michigan as an American manufacturer of kitchen Cabinet (furniture), cabinets in 1946 by Orville D. Merillat. Now retired, Richard Merillat, took over from his father as CEO and President (corporate title) ...

. Born in

Adrian Adrian is a form of the Latin given name Adrianus or Hadrianus. Its ultimate origin is most likely via the former river Adria from the Venetic and Illyrian word ''adur'', meaning "sea" or "water". The Adria was until the 8th century BC the ma ...

, Michigan, his parents were Ruth and

Orville D. Merillat Orville D. Merillat (May 1, 1916 – January 15, 1999) was an American businessman and philanthropist, who was the founder of Merillat_Industries, Merillat Industries, Inc., a manufacturer of wooden kitchen cabinets. He was born on a farm in Tedr ...

, founder of Merillat Industries, Inc., which was acquired by the

Masco Corporation Masco Corporation is an American manufacturer of products for the home improvement and new home construction markets. Comprising more than 20 companies, the Masco conglomerate operates nearly 60 manufacturing facilities in the United States and ...

in 1985. He worked in the family business from when he was 13 until retirement, eventually becoming vice president of manufacturing and president of Merillat Industries, and continuing as chairman of the board.Hutington College Commencement
/ref> He is a long-time

Mackinac Center for Public Policy The Mackinac Center for Public Policy () is a think tank headquartered in Midland, Michigan. Through research and programs, the Mackinac Center supports lower taxes, reduced regulatory authority for state agencies, right-to-work laws, school ...

supporter and is the president of Christian Family Foundation in

Naples, Florida Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,115, down from 19,539 at the 2010 census. Naples is a principal city of the Collier County, Florida, Naples–Marc ...

. He has also been associated with the Lenawee Christian School, the Christian Family Centre, Huntington University, Bill Glass Prison Ministries, and the American Bible Society Richard Merillat and his wife Lynette are well-known philanthropists in both Florida and Michigan. They are both involved in society. They maintain homes in both states which were designed by the late

Robert Denning Robert Denning (March 13, 1927 – August 26, 2005) was an American interior designer whose lush interpretations of French Victorian decor became an emblem of corporate raider tastes in the 1980s. Early life Denning was born Robert Dennis ...

of Denning & Fourcade of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. They have three daughters: Wendy, Collette and Tricia. The Merillat Quarter Horse Farm was widely renowned with AQHA World Champions at Stud. It was donated to

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State o ...

in 1996, the largest gift-in-kind received by the university and by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This included , two premier

stallions A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

, 43 quarterhorses, two houses (each in size), a 72-by-200 horse barn, a 72-by-100 breeding barn, an 80-by-200 arena, and storage building.Slate
/ref> The Merillats created the Merillat Scholars Program at Huntington University in Huntington,

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

, a program providing financial assistance to students there who are members of the

Church of the United Brethren in Christ The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination with churches in 17 countries. It is Protestant, with an episcopal structure and Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities ...

, student leaders of

Youth for Christ Youth For Christ (YFC) is a worldwide Christian movement working with young people, whose main purpose is evangelism among teenagers. It began informally in New York City in 1940, when Jack Wyrtzen held evangelical Protestant rallies for teenager ...

, or children of Huntington alumni. He is also on the

Board of Trustees A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

Eckerd College Eckerd College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. Founded in 1958, part of the campus is waterfront (area), waterfront and beach on Boca Ciega ...

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the List of municipalities in Florida, fifth-most populous city in Florida and the most populous city in the sta ...

. The college awarded him an honorary Doctor of Commercial Science degree. in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merillat, Richard Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American manufacturing businesspeople American philanthropists American socialites Businesspeople from Florida People from Adrian, Michigan Eckerd College trustees