Ep. 46 - Jim Gatward

Jim Gatward is someone I was fortunate to meet recently. Trying to talk over loud music at a beautiful wedding in Jamaica, we discovered we were both part of generational businesses back home in Detroit. I learned that starting in the 1950’s Jim’s father had built a company called LaSalle Electric into a major supplier of electrical and lighting supplies to commercial businesses. As you’ll learn in this episode, Jim joined the business with an idea to enter the aircraft lighting market. Yes, the business “took flight” and enabled a “round-the-world journey.” It also “landed” in a different place than moving into a third generation of family ownership. While this episode is longer than usual, it packs into the time what could be an entire semester course in an MBA program. Jim is a wonderful storyteller and humble leader. Please enjoy and learn from this episode of GENeration EXcellence with Jim Gatward. I hope you find it to be as electric I did.