barney’s story
barney image gallery
Home Depot is deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved founder Bernard Marcus. To us, he was just “Bernie.”
Bernie was an inspiration in many ways. He was a skilled tradesman and a customer service genius. Bernie, along with Arthur Blank and Ken Langone, helped create a nation of doers capable of tackling any project, big or small. He loved our customers. He also loved his employees, who made the company what it is today.
Above all, he believed deeply in the company’s core values, especially the value of giving back. He never lost sight of his humble roots and used his success not for fame or fortune, but to generously help others. Whether in business or philanthropy, Bernie’s generosity and goodness were unparalleled.
Born to be an entrepreneur
Bernie was born in 1929, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants, and grew up in a tenement house in Newark, New Jersey. He dreamed of becoming a doctor. Because his family could not afford medical school, he enrolled in pharmacy school and received his degree from Rutgers University. Barney said he frequently cut classes short to sell Amana freezers door-to-door.
After graduating from university, he rose through the ranks at manufacturing conglomerate Odell’s and retail chain Vornado. By 1972, Barney was chairman of the board and president of Handy Dan Improvement Centers, Inc., a part of the chain. of the Daylin conglomerate. While working at Daylin, Barney formed a lifelong friendship with Arthur Blank.
The turning point in Bernie’s career came in April 1978 when he was fired from Handy Dan along with Arthur and Ron Brill. At age 49, Bernie was faced with the possibility of reinventing himself. He already had a vision for a one-stop shop for do-it-yourselfers, something that didn’t exist in the home improvement retail industry at the time. Investment banker Ken Langone helped raise the money to start Home Depot.
The following year, Home Depot’s first store opened in Atlanta, and a remarkable journey began. From their first store in 1979, Barney and his fellow founders grew a business that created jobs around the world, eventually employing more than 500,000 people.
return of favor
Giving back was part of Barney’s upbringing. “My mother taught me to be generous. She believed that the more you gave, the more you would receive.”
Bernie practiced the Jewish tradition of tzedakah throughout his life. In his book, Kick Up Some Dust: Lessons on Thinking Big, Giving Back and Doing It Yourself, he writes: ”
Over the years, he has had a tremendous impact on healthcare in Atlanta. Bernie founded the Marcus Institute with his wife Billie. This is now the Marcus Autism Center, a nonprofit subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which treats more than 5,500 children with autism and related disorders annually.
Bernie also helped create Project Share, a collaboration with Atlanta’s Shepherd Center, renowned for its treatment of brain and spinal cord injuries. To ensure service members and veterans have access to diagnosis and care without financial constraints, the Marcus Foundation covered the housing, transportation and care costs for military personnel with brain and spinal cord injuries who were sent to Shepherd. Bernie and Billy have been inducted into the National Spinal Cord Injury Association Hall of Fame for their tireless efforts in this field.
In 1999, Bernie, Arthur, and Ken founded the Homer Fund to help Home Depot employees who were experiencing unexpected hardships. Employee donations to the Homer Fund perfectly demonstrate our value of caring for our employees. Since its inception, the Homer Foundation has supported more than 194,000 employees.
In 2010, Bernie and Billy joined The Giving Pledge, a pledge to give away most of their money during their lifetime.
“It’s one thing to make a profit every quarter, but it’s much better to make one change in your life,” Bernie wrote in a letter to Warren Buffett.
Bernie later told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I want to live to be 100 years old, because I want to be in a position where I can dedicate it to something that I truly believe in.”
Barney and Billy also built the Georgia Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world. This aquarium is a non-profit operation for conservation and research purposes. They dedicated the award to the people of Georgia and to The Home Depot’s associates, customers and shareholders in gratitude for making The Home Depot a success.
In Atlanta, his contributions include grant contributions to Georgia Tech’s Marcus Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing Center, Grady Hospital’s Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital’s Marcus Heart and Vascular Center, and the Construction Education Foundation. It is. Georgia.
Bernie’s philanthropy will continue through the Marcus Foundation and will focus on Jewish causes, children, medical research, free enterprise, and community. His commitment to excellent customer service, entrepreneurial spirit, giving back and caring for his employees is passed on to The Home Depot’s employees. For more information about the Foundation, click on the link marcusfoundation.org.
