Business leaders, contractors and members of the community gathered at the MSU Riley Center on Thursday to celebrate and offer congratulations as A&B Electric Co. marks 50 years in business.

Founded in 1974 by Jimmy and Ann Alexander, A&B Electric has grown from a two-person startup company into an industry titan with offices in multiple states and a long list of industrial and commercial clients. Among the many projects the company has worked on are Casino Magic in Bay St. Louis, the Mercedes-Benz automotive plant in Vance, Alabama, the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, ThyssenKrupp Steel in Calvert, Alabama, and Two Rivers Sawmill in Demopolis, Alabama.

Randy Sharman, son-in-law to Jimmy and Ann Alexander, who now serves as president of A&B Electric, said the company’s success is built on good relationships with suppliers, contractors, vendors, clients and the community. Because of those relationships, he said, the company has been able to grow and succeed for half a century.

“One thing that Jim and Ann instilled in the new leadership of A&B Electric early and often in our career was it takes three things to succeed in a business,” he said. “Number one, it takes good employees. It takes good employees. Number two, it takes good vendors, and number three, it takes great clients.

“And you know, the Heavenly Father has blessed A&B with all of it, and that’s really what has propelled us over the 50 years,” he added.

Present for Thursday’s reception were representatives from the banking industry, law enforcement, construction, business and economic development, local elected officials and more, Sharman said, and A&B Electric relies on each of those industries to succeed. The company has to have banking and bonding, he said, and it needs good electrical suppliers, vendors and subcontractors.

“We’ve gotta have all these things to make this thing click,” he said. It’s not as much of just going out and wiring up a plant. It’s more what happens in that Meridian office, and I appreciate everybody being here.”

Most of A&B Electric’s work is not in Meridian, Sharman said, but the company was founded in Meridian, is based in Meridian and is proud to call Meridian home. Throughout the years, he said, the company has worked to give back to the community by supporting the arts, economic development, education initiatives and more, and it will continue to do so while being ambassadors for the Queen City wherever it goes.

“Everything that we’ve been doing in the past, we’re going to continue that, and we’re going to continue calling Meridian home and be proud of it,” he said.

Gina Sharman, who serves as vice president of A&B Electric, said she was grateful to everyone who took time to attend Thursday’s event and help A&B celebrate 50 years. The company has a bright future ahead, she said, and she looks forward to what comes next for both her company and community.

“We can’t tell you what it means to see you here this morning and how grateful we are to each and everyone of you and what we believe the future holds, and we very much want you to be a part of it,” she said. “And, it’s bright. No matter what we see, hear, we know that our future is bright.”