“Our most important assets go home every night” is what a labor-intensive company’s executive might say. The saying has long been popular in Hollywood, where a studio’s greatest assets are its people, such as actors, directors and writers. “A studio executive explained: ‘A banker once said that movies is the only business where the assets go home at 5 p. m.’” was cited in print in 1965.
 
“At five o’clock all the company’s assets go home” was credited in a 1978 book to Marion Harper Jr., the boy wonder who became, at age 32, the president of McCann Erickson Advertising Agency in 1948. However, Harper’s use of the saying has not been documented. “Assets go home at 5 p.m.” became “assets go home at night” by at least 1978.
 
 
1 July 1965, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA), “The Lyons Den” by Leonard Lyons, sec. 4, pg. 2, col. 4:
A studio executive explained: “A banker once said that movies is the only business where the assets go home at 5 p. m.”
     
Google Books
“The Thrill of Victory”:
The Inside Story of ABC Sports
By Bert Randolph Sugar
New York, NY: Hawthorn
1978
Pg. 68:
Marion Harper, when president of McCann-Erickson Advertising Agency, said, “At five o’clock all the company’s assets go home.” This is almost true of ABC Sports.
   
Google Books
Studio:
A Novel 
By Tom Maremaa
New York, NY: Morrow
1978
Pg. 198:
“Especially in a business like ours where, as somebody once said, all the assets go home at six o’clock.”
 
15 June 1978, The Wall Street Journal:
You will find us attuned to the motivation of creative talents and unafraid of a business in which the “assets go home at night.”
 
New York (NY) Times
A New Lead Player Who Is Changing the Game
By JOHN HOLUSHA
Published: February 23, 1997
(...)
Richard Podos, co-manager of the New York office of Equis Corporation, which specializes in tenant representation, said ‘‘the problem with acquiring service businesses is that the assets go home at night.’‘
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Not all the assets go home at 5 o’clock Did British Telecom invent the internet? Maybe not - but the company is demonstrating a robust approach to its intellectual capital
Edition/Format: Article : English
Publication: FINANCIAL DIRECTOR, no. Apr, (2002): 49-51
Database: British Library Serials
 
3 February 2005, New Canaan (CT) Advertiser, “Seat of your pants” business valuing” by Clifford R. Ennico, pg. C11:
As the saying goes, “your assets go home every night.”
 
Twitter
Home Run Media‏
@HomeRunMedia
Not only do our Assets go home every night, but they get off their assets to swim, bike and run every day #wellnessprogram #corevalues
8:35 AM - 16 Feb 13
 
Coleman—The Outdoor Co.
Careers at Coleman
“Our Most Important Assets Go Home Every Night”
Coleman is an international leader in the outdoor market. As a highly recognised and respected brand we continue to lead the way with a reputation of innovation and quality. Synonymous with our brands, we boast a unique entrepreneurial culture that breeds passion, energy and encourages a healthy and active lifestyle – we even wear thongs to work! We have a great team of people at Coleman, who embrace our brand and sense of fun, and at the end of the day inspire our friends and familes to come together to make lifelong memories outdoors.
 
Every business has its own specific recruitment process, but here at Coleman – our most important assets go home at night! For this reason we put in a lot of work into our hunt for talent.