e Depot began to branch out of Georgia to Florida in 1981 with stores opening in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale. By 1984, The Home Depot was operating 19 stores with sales of over $256 million. To enter the Dallas market The Home Depot acquired Bowater Home Center from Bowater Inc. on October 31, 1984, for $40 million.[12] The increased expansion of The Home Depot in the mid-1980s created financial difficulties with earnings falling at 42% and debt rising to $200 million. The financial difficulties of The Home Depot also caused the stock price to fall. To curb The Home Depot difficulties it opened only 10 stores in 1986 with a stock offering 2.99 million shares at $17 per share that helped The Home Depot to restructure its debts.[13] The Home Depot store in Markham, Ontario, Canada. In 1989, The Home Depot became the largest home improvement store in the United States surpassing Lowe’s. In the 1990s The Home Depot searched for ways to redefine its marketplace. An installation program for quality home improvement items such as windows or carpets was launched in 1991 called the EXPO with success. A 480-page book Home Improvement 1-2-3 was published in 1995. The Canadian hardware chain Aikenhead’s Hardware was acquired by The Home Depot in 1994 for $150 million with a 75% share. All of the Aikenhead’s Hardware stores were later converted to The Home Depot stores.[14] By 1995, sales reached $10 billion while operating 350 stores. Former General Electric executive Robert Nardelli became CEO and president of The Home Depot in 2000.[15] 2000–2007 San Diego maintenance and repair supplies company Maintenance Warehouse was purchased by The Home Depot in 1997 for $245 million.[16] Maintenance Warehouse was purchased because it was a leading direct-mail marketer of maintenance, repair and operations sup

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