Home Depot vs Lowe's: Founders, CEOs and History
Home Depot was founded in 1978 by Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ron Brill and is led by Ted Decker. Lowe's was founded in 1921 by Lucius Smith Lowe, Carl Buchan and is led by Marvin Ellison.
Company facts
Home Depot
- Founded
- 1978
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Current CEO
- Ted Decker
- Employees
- 470,000
Lowe's
- Founded
- 1921
- Headquarters
- Mooresville, North Carolina, United States
- Current CEO
- Marvin Ellison
- Employees
- 276,000
Founders
Home Depot
Bernie Marcus
The Home Depot possesses arguably the most well-known, combative founding story in American retail history, born entirely out of a personal corporate firing and an obsession with customer service.
Arthur Blank
Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, Inc. And a two-time entrepreneurial success story who built one of America's most beloved sports franchises after departing the company he helped create.
Ron Brill
Ron Brill served as one of the four original co-founders of The Home Depot and its first chief financial officer, providing the financial management infrastructure that allowed the company to survive its precarious early years and scale into one of America's m…
Pat Farrah
Pat Farrah was the fourth co-founder of The Home Depot, functioning as the company's original chief merchandising officer and the architect of the product strategy that made Home Depot stores feel genuinely different from any retail experience available to Ame…
Lowe's
Lucius Smith Lowe
Lucius Smith Lowe opened North Wilkesboro Hardware in North Carolina in 1921, a general store that sold hardware, groceries, dry goods and farm supplies.
Carl Buchan
Carl Buchan, married to Lucius Lowe's daughter Ruth, became a partner in the store in 1943.
CEOs and their tenures
Home Depot
- Craig Menear2014–2022
Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Menear orchestrated one of the most impressive, digital transformations in the history of traditional retail.
Source - Ted Decker2022–present
Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Decker is shifting Home Depot from a store-centered retailer toward a combined retail and trade distribution business. On August 12, 2026, the company said he would take a temporary medical leave and was expected back within a few months.
Source - Ann-Marie Campbell2026–present
Senior Executive Vice President (interim co-leader during CEO medical leave)
Campbell has spent decades at Home Depot, starting as a cashier and rising through store operations leadership. She now shares interim leadership of the company with CFO Richard McPhail.
Source - Richard McPhail2026–present
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (interim co-leader during CEO medical leave)
McPhail directs capital allocation and is responsible for financing the SRS and GMS acquisitions while the company keeps paying dividends.
Source
Lowe's
- Robert Tillman1996–2005
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Oversaw Lowe's national big-box expansion and the 1999 Eagle Hardware & Garden acquisition.
Source - Robert Niblock2005–2018
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Led expansion into Canada and Mexico, the 2013 Orchard Supply purchase and the 2016 RONA deal.
Source - Marvin Ellison2018–present
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
He refocused Lowe's on U.S. operations and Pro customers. Sales reached a record $97.1B in FY2022, and under his plan acquisitions now drive growth while comparable sales stay near flat in a weak housing market.
Source - Brandon Sink2022–present
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Oversees Lowe's finance, capital allocation and acquisition financing, including the FY2026 outlook of about $92.0B in sales.
Source
Timeline: Home Depot and Lowe's side by side
1921Lowe's
North Wilkesboro Hardware founded by Lucius Smith Lowe.
1952Lowe's
Carl Buchan takes full control and focuses on building materials.
1961Lowe's
Lowe's goes public.
1979Home Depot
First Stores Open in Atlanta
The original two Home Depot stores open on June 22, 1979, in Doraville and on Memorial Drive in Atlanta, Georgia.
1981Home Depot
Initial Public Offering on NASDAQ
Home Depot goes public on NASDAQ in 1981, raising capital to expand beyond Atlanta, starting with South Florida.
1984Home Depot
Listing on the New York Stock Exchange
Home Depot moves its shares from NASDAQ to the New York Stock Exchange and acquires Bowater's Home Centers, a Texas-area chain whose integration proves difficult and weighs on mid-1980s earnings.
1989Home Depot
100th Store Opening
Home Depot opens its 100th store, crossing a symbolic milestone that reflects a decade of sustained geographic expansion from the original Atlanta market to markets across the Southeast, Southwest, and Northeast United States.
1994Home Depot
Expansion into Canada
Home Depot makes its first international expansion, entering Canada through the acquisition of Aikenhead's Home Improvement Warehouse, a Canadian big-box home improvement chain.
1999Home Depot
Added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average
Home Depot is added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1999, replacing Sears, Roebuck and Co.
1999Lowe's
Acquires Eagle Hardware & Garden.
2000Home Depot
Bob Nardelli Becomes CEO
Robert Nardelli, a former General Electric executive, becomes CEO of Home Depot following the retirement of co-founder Bernie Marcus.
2007Home Depot
Nardelli Departs; Frank Blake Becomes CEO
Bob Nardelli resigns amid shareholder pressure over his compensation package and concerns about the company's strategic direction.
2014Home Depot
Major Data Breach Affects 56 Million Customers
Home Depot discloses a data breach in which hackers stole payment card data from approximately 56 million customers, one of the largest retail data breaches in history at the time.
2018Lowe's
Marvin Ellison becomes CEO.
2020Home Depot
COVID-19 Pandemic Surge in Home Improvement Demand
The COVID-19 pandemic generates a notable surge in home improvement spending as millions of Americans redirect discretionary income toward their homes during lockdowns.
2022Home Depot
Ted Decker Assumes CEO Role
Ted Decker, a 22-year Home Depot veteran who served as president and chief operating officer, becomes CEO in March 2022. Craig Menear, who had led the company since 2014, transitions to executive chairman.
2023Lowe's
Canadian retail business sold to Sycamore Partners.
2024Home Depot
Acquisition of SRS Distribution for $18.25 Billion
Home Depot completes the acquisition of SRS Distribution, the second-largest specialty trade distributor in the United States, in June 2024 for approximately $18.25 billion - the largest acquisition in company history.
2025Home Depot
SRS acquires GMS for about $5.5 billion
Through SRS, Home Depot completes the acquisition of GMS, a wallboard, ceilings and steel framing distributor, on September 4, 2025, for about $5.5 billion including net debt.
2025Lowe's
Acquires ADG ($1.325B) and FBM (about $8.8B); FY2025 net sales reach $86.286B.
2026Home Depot
CEO medical leave and interim leadership
On August 12, 2026, Home Depot announces that chair and CEO Ted Decker will take a temporary medical leave. Ann-Marie Campbell and Richard McPhail lead in the interim.
2026Lowe's
Q2 FY2026 sales of $26.0B; FY2026 sales outlook of about $92.0B.
Acquisitions
Home Depot
- GMS Inc.2025$5.5B
- SRS Distribution2024$18.3B
- Company Store (Home Textiles Division of Croscill)2017Undisclosed
- Compact Power Equipment2017Undisclosed
- Interline Brands2015$1.6B
- Blinds.com2014Undisclosed
Lowe's
- Artisan Design Group2025$1.3B
- Foundation Building Materials2025$8.8B
- STAINMASTER brand2021Undisclosed
- RONA (divested)2016$2.4B
- Orchard Supply Hardware (closed 2018)2013$205M
- Eagle Hardware & Garden1999$1.3B
Questions about Home Depot vs Lowe's
Who is the CEO of The Home Depot, Inc. and Lowe's Companies, Inc.?
The Home Depot, Inc. is led by Ted Decker and Lowe's Companies, Inc. is led by Marvin Ellison. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was The Home Depot, Inc. founded vs Lowe's Companies, Inc.?
Lowe's Companies, Inc. was founded in 1921 — 57 years before The Home Depot, Inc., which was founded in 1978. Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger The Home Depot, Inc..
How many employees does The Home Depot, Inc. have compared to Lowe's Companies, Inc.?
The Home Depot, Inc. employs approximately 470,000 people, while Lowe's Companies, Inc. employs approximately 276,000. The Home Depot, Inc. has the larger workforce at 470,000 employees, compared to Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s 276,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are The Home Depot, Inc. and Lowe's Companies, Inc. headquartered?
Both The Home Depot, Inc. and Lowe's Companies, Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded The Home Depot, Inc. and Lowe's Companies, Inc.?
The Home Depot, Inc. was founded by Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Ron Brill, Pat Farrah. Lowe's Companies, Inc. was founded by Lucius Smith Lowe, Carl Buchan.
Which company has a longer operating history — The Home Depot, Inc. or Lowe's Companies, Inc.?
Lowe's Companies, Inc. has been operating for approximately 105 years, making it the more established of the two companies. The Home Depot, Inc. has been in operation for around 48 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Home Depot vs Lowe's overview