March 13, 2016

Finding a BIG Way to Help the Austin Community

With 40 active projects currently in Texas, Power Design, Inc. continues to be a leader in the Western market. A focus on high-rise, multifamily construction and long-standing client relationships is what earned the Florida-based electrical contractor work across 20 states in the past 25 years.

A strong national presence means hiring local labor and impacting communities in which Power Design employees work and live. “It is not enough to just support causes in the Tampa Bay area, where we are headquartered,” says Kelsey Roberts, charity manager at Power Design. “We empower our employees all over the country to get involved and make a difference.”

So, when Kelan OHanlan, project manager for Power Design in the Austin market, first heard of BiG, he knew it was something Power Design could help with. “Brookwood in Georgetown (BiG) is a nonprofit organization one of our Texas clients brought to my attention,” said OHanlan. “They were building a new facility for adults with special needs and seeking any support they could get with the project, so Power Design jumped at the opportunity.”

Renovations on the 2-story community center began last August, with an anticipated completion date this April. During construction, Power Design contributed more than $75,000 worth of material & labor for the electrical services, and an additional $9,000 in light fixtures.

We empower our employees all over the country to get involved and make a difference.

Kelsey Roberts

Charity Manager

As April comes to an end, the successful completion of the new building means BiG now has a space to call their own. “We could not have succeeded without the incredible generosity of community supporters like Power Design,” said Erik Kiltz, executive director of BiG. “They literally “powered” us through, and we are so proud to have a beautiful, functional setting for our adults with intellectual challenges to thrive,” Kiltz added, “Power Design will forever be a part of our family.” BiG’s new location includes rooms for the Citizens to create their handmade pottery and greetings cards, as well as an expanded retail space and a small café.

We could not have succeeded without the incredible generosity of community supporters like Power Design.

Erik Kiltz

Executive director of BiG

Power Design’s commitment to the local communities in which it works has long been a focus for the company. In 2007, Project V5 officially launched; a program that takes scrap wire from Power Design’s jobsites and turns it in for cash. Those funds are then directly contributed to employee-chosen charities throughout the country. Since 2008, Power Design has raised more than $800,000 through Project V5 and has contributed many services to community projects such as BiG.

To learn more about BiG, visit http://www.brookwoodingeorgetown.org/

Project V5