Home Depot, Inc.
The world's largest home improvement retailer, Home Depot runs thousands of warehouse-style stores in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico selling lumber, tools, appliances, and garden supplies to do-it-yourselfers and professional contractors. Founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank after they were fired from a rival hardware chain, the concept was sketched over coffee in Los Angeles. Its signature orange aprons trace back to the founders' use of discarded circus tents for early store signage.