As the year 2023 winds down, we love to celebrate the people, places and companies that made the year special, and few have had more impact in the community than the city’s largest private employer, Power Design, Inc. The family-owned company put an exclamation mark its calendar year over the last week as it provided more than 600 toys to needy children, threw a holiday bash for the ages, and celebrated nearly $1 million in charitable giving for the year.
Starting at the most local level, Power Design not only took part in the All Kids Wonderland at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, but they led the way in helping make Christmas special for hundreds of families in the area. The annual event provides a free “shopping” experience for parents and caregivers of young patients who are hospitalized, allowing them to choose donated toys (everything from stuffed animals to dolls to electronics to skateboards) for their little loved ones.
Not only did Power Design team members volunteer as support to staff the event, but Power Design employees donated more than 600 toys for the spirit-lifting toy drive, making them the largest single contributor to All Kids Wonderland.
“We are so appreciative of the Power Design family for collecting toys for our families,” said Stephanie Hall, Director, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals & Cause Programs at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. “Thanks to the Power Design family and thoughtful selection of toys, their sponsorship, and volunteering at our “All Kids” Wonderland, our families are going to be able to embrace normalcy and celebrate the holidays. We are thankful for Power Design for making the holidays so bright this year for Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.”
Project V5 provided nearly $1M to nonprofits in 2023
Meanwhile, Power Design’s Project V5 announced that it donated $977,500 to charitable organizations in 2023, impacting incredible nonprofits throughout the country. Project V5 is an employee-led charitable program that supports a wide range of organizations chosen by the employees themselves.
In addition to the nearly $1 million donated through various programs – including millions of pounds of recycled and donated job site scrap metal – Power Design employees totaled more than 1,000 volunteer hours throughout the year, all culminating in support for 150 different charities.
“At Power Design, we’re committed to more than just shaping skylines — we’re dedicated to impacting, giving back, and taking care of the communities where we live and work,” the company said. “Our #PDIFamily was all in for something bigger this year: sponsoring local walks, paddling 80 miles from the Bahamas to Florida, and placing our bets on charity, we left our Power Design mark both near and far — through our Project V5 initiatives.”
Power Design ends year with massive holiday bash
Of course, it isn’t just the community that Power Design gives back to. There’s a reason the local company has regularly been rated one of the best workplaces in America, and their holiday celebration left no doubt. The annual “Jingle & Mingle” staff party took on a Polar Express theme for 2023, inviting all employees and family aboard for holiday fun and visits with Santa.
More than 1,700 team members and loved ones joined together last weekend to deck the halls as they enjoyed a festive train ride that would make old St. Nick proud. More festivities included a bounce house, ice skating, food trucks making spirits bright and bellies full, and treats as sweet as can be.
The party followed Power Design’s trend of big parties for any occasion. Their annual events range from games and competitions for charity to staff appreciation events and everything in between.
Power Design sets an industry standard
As for the work of the company itself, Power Design has grown into something of a one-stop-shop for construction developers. By specializing in so many different areas (a rarity in the field), Power Design helps streamline construction processes by doing the work of what typically requires multiple contractors.
Specifically, they focus on electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and systems technologies as a design-build contractor for construction projects. That scope encompasses everything from the lighting in conference rooms to carbon filtration in parking garages, with all the fire alarms, bathrooms, and literal nuts and bolts in between. Of course, while it’s their professional services that make them important to their clients and partners, it’s Power Design’s role in the community that makes it special to St. Pete.
It’s a rarity in so many of Florida’s growing cities to have such a large company not only headquartered locally, but founded there. Power Design is entrenched as an economic driver for the individuals and families who actually live in St. Pete and the surrounding areas.
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