Boost for Bernie in HD museum
A 1978 issue of National Home Center News, the forerunner of HBSDealer, commands a prominent place in the Home Depot museum inside the retailer's headquarter in Atlanta. Behind a glass case, and adjacent to an early Home Depot smock and the company's first newspaper circular ("The Home Depot comes to Atlanta 11 a.m. Friday"), that's the spot for former publisher Arther Anderman's "Open letter to Bernie Marcus, entrepreneur."
The letter was sparked by Marcus' sudden departure (he was fired) from Handy Dan, a pivotal and historic personnel move.
Some excerpts:
• "When the news of your departure from Handy Dan reached me, I of course, was shocked. What startled me even more was industry reaction -- my telephone almost rang off the receiver, and the calls came from all over the country -- suppliers, reps, wholesalers and retailers all wanted to know "how could this happen to Bernie Marcus."
• "At the height or your retailing career with Two Guys, you moved on to become president of a hair products manufacturing concern, but soon discovered that retailing was in your blood and thus returned to your first love."
• "Time and again, you were aware of trends affecting the overall industry that you were part of. No small reason then that your career has been one of the most successful I have seen in the years I have been associated with retailing."
• "Stay with us Bernie, you're a prime ingredient for the growth of this industry."
Send your memories of working with Bernie Marcus to [email protected].