Charles Collat Sr. knows a thing or two about building a legacy.

In business, definitely, and also in philanthropy and being a champion of Birmingham business. As chairman emeritus and retired president and CEO of Mayer Electric Supply Co., Collat saw the firm he joined in 1953 grow from 15 employees to 1,500. Today, Mayer has grown from locations in two states with under $10 million in annual revenue to 79 locations in 14 states, with annual revenue topping $1 billion.

Collat shared his journey at the first-ever Switch Stories, a quarterly series featuring legends of Birmingham business tapped to share their journeys of rising to the top and the lessons learned along the way. The event was sponsored by Innovation Depot and the Birmingham Business Alliance.

At Switch Stories, Collat identified 1953 as a major year in his life: He married wife Patsy, and, after returning from serving in Korea, joined the team at Mayer, the company founded by Patsy’s parents. His in-laws said no son-in-law of theirs would ever work for the family firm.

“Never say never,” Collat said.

Collat first worked in the warehouse at Mayer, which distributes electric equipment like wholesale lighting and other electrical supplies, and worked his way up the ranks until, in 1979, he became owner and president of the company.

At the event, Collat shared leadership beliefs that were the cornerstones of his career in business:

Good people make good things happen.
The golden rule always works, period.
Don’t be greedy.
A big sheet of white paper is the most powerful item in an office.
Hire boards, consultants and employees from various backgrounds and experiences, and use them.
Little things make a huge difference.
You can’t overcome adversity without people pulling together.
Make the office as nice of a place to go to as the home each employee must leave to be there.
Don’t force employees to have to leave the company to get what they’re looking for.
If you can’t give your money, give your time.
Be intentional in your personal goals and your business goals.
The quality process is the backbone of a business.

Above all of these nuggets, Collat is fueled by his personal philosophy of “do good and be better.” Collat’s legacy in Birmingham will certainly be one of solid corporate leadership, but also of cheerful giving. In August 2018, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) opened the $37.5 million Collat School of Business, named in honor of Collat and Patsy, who passed away in 2015. The Collats are institutions of philanthropy in Birmingham, with Collat giving not just money but a possibly even more valuable resource – his time – to organizations like the United Way, the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, Leadership Alabama and UAB.

The next Switch Stories will take place on May 18 at Innovation Depot and feature the leadership journey of Mike Kemp, president and CEO of Kemp Management Solutions.