Home Depot has announced the passing of one of its founders, Bernard “Bernie” Marcus.
Born in 1929 in Newark, New Jersey, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, he dreamed of a career in medicine but after gaining a degree from Rutgers University, he found himself climbing the corporate ladder in other industries.
After being fired from Handy Dan Improvement Centers, Inc in 1978, he joined forces with friend Arthur Blank and Investment banker Ken Langone to start Home Depot – the one-stop shop for do-it-yourselfers that didn’t exist in the retail market at the time. From its first store in 1979, the business grew to a global brand that employs over 500,000 associates.
Bernie was Home Depot’s CEO until 1997 and served as the company’s chairman until his retirement in 2002. In a statement, Home Depot described Bernie as “an inspiration in many ways. He was a master merchant and a genius with customer service.”
