Coca Cola, Delta, and The Home Depot are three of the most important global economic engines that powered Atlanta’s rise in the late twentieth century. Home Depot’s iconic orange apron became a symbol of the home improvement store and the two men who made it happen—Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus, whose personal Home Depot apron is pictured here. Marcus and Blank were both fired from a home improvement company in California and decided to start their own business. After a nationwide search, they chose Atlanta, and the first two Home Depots opened in 1979. Those original stores have grown to more than 2,200. Following his retirement Marcus helped create the Georgia Aquarium, while Blank bought the Atlanta Falcons. The company they founded revolutionized the home improvement industry and helped transform Atlanta and Georgia into an economic powerhouse.