Home Depot and the Global Environment

A Home Buying Article Contributed by Mark Vanner

Home Depot - an American Dream.

Home Depot Inc, claim to be the largest domestic and home improvement retailer in the World today. Established in 1978 by Arthur Blank and Bernard Marcus, the Home Depot brand grew rapidly with stores springing, seemingly out of nowhere across America and Canada supplying everything from bathroom tiles and kitchen sinks to garden furniture and household appliances, dominating the market and turning over billions of U.S dollars in the process.

It is estimated that during the period from 1978 to 1986 Home Depot's yearly sales rose to an income of one billion dollars annually before being named as 'Fortune Magazines' Most Admired Retailer for five consecutive years.

Home Depot - the Protest Years.

However, by the mid 1990's the social and political climate was changing and so were attitudes towards Global Warming and the Environment. It was at this time that Home Depot's policy towards the sale of old growth rain forest lumber was called into question by a number of Environmental Activist Groups. In 1997 the first of many protests against Home Depot Inc began with Global Activists demanding that the purchasing of wood from endangered forests be halted immediately.

Hundreds of protests were held across the United States and Canada with protesters picketing Stores, disrupting share holder meetings and U-locking themselves to in store shelves carrying old growth lumber.

Home Depot - a Green Frontier.

In 1999 with increasing pressure from sporadic protests and fears of sales declining, Home Depot made a brave and ground breaking decision. In August of that year Arthur Blank Co-founder and President of Home Depot Inc took the opportunity during the Companies 20th Anniversary celebrations to announce a change in policy concerning the purchasing of wood supplies from endangered forests and woodland areas.

Mr Blank pledged to eliminate all uncertified wood sources from the shelves of Home Depot by 2002. To attain certification the wood must be tracked from the suppliers original source such as a forest or woodland through to the manufacturing and distribution of the product ensuring that all wood products are obtained from unthreatened ecological sources.

Home Depot Inc also created a new position by appointing Roland "Ron" Jarvis as Environmental Global Project Manager responsible for ensuring all ties with suppliers who continue to harm endangered hot spots be severed.

Home Depot - a Retailer with a Conscience

Since Mr Blanks original pledge in 1999 Home Depot Inc have worked closely with environmental groups to champion the causes of endangered forests in Chile, Africa and Asia. Over the past few years Home Depot have dramatically reduced the purchasing of old growth wood and has slashed it's supplies of Luan wood by 70 percent. The company also continue to lobby both the Government and wood loggers to cease the over cutting of Forests worldwide.

In 2001 Home Depot was ranked number one in social responsibility amongst American consumers which was recorded on an online survey by Harris Interactive Inc, and the Reputation Institute. Home Depot Inc continues to donate thousands of dollars to non-profit Environmental groups around the world.