The family-business name associated with Home Depot’s founding is Marcus and Blank, referring to co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank.
Marcus and Blank, along with Ken Langone and Pat Farrah, opened the first Home Depot stores in Atlanta in 1979 after Marcus and Blank left their previous jobs at Handy Dan. Their warehouse-style stores offered a broad selection of do-it-yourself materials at competitive prices.
Arthur Blank later became known for owning the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC. Bernie Marcus became a major philanthropist and political donor. Neither man’s surname is the company name, which is why the founding connection can be less obvious than at many family-named businesses.
Home Depot should not be confused with Lowe’s, another major American home-improvement chain. Lowe’s was founded decades earlier in North Carolina and is a separate company.