Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal
Fired from their jobs with no equity, Home Depot's founders built a warehouse retail empire that became the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 since its 1981 IPO.
The warehouse retail model drives superior customer value by eliminating wholesale distributors, purchasing directly from manufacturers, and passing scale savings back to consumers.
Hiring experienced former tradespeople transforms retail workers from mere inventory clerks into trusted advisers who expand project scope and customer basket size.
Distributing equity stock options and purchase plans down to store-level associates aligns employee motivation directly with company performance and customer satisfaction.