Built from Scratch: How a Couple of Regular Guys Grew the Home Depot from Nothing to $30 Billion

Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus were both fired in 1978 by corporate raider Sandy Sigiloff. Blank, a CPA, and Marcus, an ex-pharmacist, were devastated. Bernie, heartbroken and virtually broke, fell into a deep funk. Arthur considered becoming a private CPA. Both thought a former associate was crazy when he told them: "You've just been hit in the ass by a golden horseshoe".They proved him right. Blank and Marcus both recovered from their professional downturn to found The Home Depot, a phenomenally successful business with 1,000 locations, 200,000 employees, and $30 billion in sales. The Home Depot story is one of the great entrepreneurial tales of the last twenty years -- how incredibly determined and creative people built a business empire from nothing. It's an inspirational tale of two people who had to beg for capital to begin and grow their business but never forgot their principles.The Home Depot today is one of America's toughest, most growth-oriented companies, but one with a hu