The Home Depot NYSE: HD, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is a big box home improvement retailer that aims for both the do-it-yourself consumer and the professional in home improvement and construction. It is the second largest retailer in the United States, behind Wal-Mart; and the third largest retailer in the world, behind Wal-Mart and French company Carrefour. The Home Depot operates about 2,000 stores across North America. The company operates stores in the United States (including the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands), Canada, and Mexico. The Home Depot also operates EXPO Design Center stores in select U.S. markets, providing high-end home design products and services, and 10 Crescent Lane, an online home-furnishings store. The Home Depot employs over 325,000 people.

History of Home Depot

Home Depot stores are large, averaging 109,000 ft² (10,000 m²) and warehouse-style, stocking a large range of supplies. The company color is a bright orange (PMS 165, CMYK 60M100Y), on signs, equipment and employee aprons.

The company was founded in 1979 in Atlanta, Georgia by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, and grew rapidly, with sales topping $1 billion annually by 1986.

In 2000, Marcus and Blank retired. Robert (Bob) L. Nardelli became chairman, president & chief executive officer of The Home Depot. He had previously spent almost 30 years at General Electric, his career culminating as president and CEO of GE Power Systems.

The Home Depot today

Its 2005 sales totaled US$81.5 billion. Despite the 11% increase in revenue, it dropped one spot to #14 on the 2006 FORTUNE magazine's FORTUNE 500 list (it was #13 in 2005 on $73.1 billion sales in 2004). The Home Depot also owns EXPO Design Center, a chain of higher-end home decorating and appliance stores. and online home-furnishings store 10 Crescent Lane.

(Home Depot Information Courtesy of Wikipedia.)