In 1978, Bernard Marcus & Arthur Blank didn’t have any idea how revolutionary their new hardware store would be for the home improvement & the retail industry with its warehouse concept. Marcus served the company as its 1st CEO & 1st Chairman until retiring in 2002. Cofounder Blank spent 19 years as President before succeeding Marcus as CEO & retired as the Co-Chairman in 2001. But within 3 years, they took the company public. The Home Depot, Inc.— referred to as Home Depot — has become a household brand, is an icon in home improvement & the largest retailer of its kind in North America. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with more than 475,000 team members, the specialty superstore operates more than 2,300 stores across North America & has locations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces & Mexico. Home Depot offers over 1 million products for the DIY customer, professional contractors & the industry’s largest installation business. The complete story — Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew The Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion — was published in 1999.