ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A team of electrical roughers is $25,000 richer after winning Power Design’s inaugural “Tough Rougher” competition, held in downtown St. Petersburg yesterday. Eight teams from across the U.S. were challenged to go head-to-head to see who could install electrical wiring in a unit fastest, while still executing their work accurately and safely.
Roughing is part of the construction process that occurs after basic framing is up, but before walls and ceilings are installed. In particular, electrical roughing involves pulling electrical cables through studs to wall and ceiling boxes, preparing them for outlets, switches and other devices once walls are complete. It’s tough work, but not for Power Design’s toughest roughers who were selected for the competition after a nomination process.
The winning team was announced at an award breakfast this morning. The 4-man crew from the Mid-Atlantic Region was able to rough out an entire unit, including panel work, kitchen boxes, bath wiring and safety infrastructure like fire alarms.
“I knew my crew was made of the best and toughest roughers out there,” said Julio Tobar, captain of the winning team and Power Design foreman since 2013.
The Quality Control team of judges scored Tobar’s team’s work as fastest and most accurate, with the $10,000-winning, second-place team from the Southwest Region coming in close behind for their work on an apartment project in downtown St. Petersburg.
John Bowden, Senior Vice President for Moss, the construction manager for the project said, “Moss is proud to afford this opportunity for Power Design to reward their team for a job well done in both quality and safety. This is just another example of why Moss considers Power Design one of the best trade contractors we work with.”
“At Power Design, we have some of the best field technicians in the country,” said Joe Micallef, Executive VP of Construction at Power Design. “This competition was a fun way for us to show our teams how much we value the skill and drive they bring to our jobsites across the country. Hopefully we can encourage future tradesman to join our team and help combat the labor shortage.”
Competitions and fun are part of the culture at Power Design. The nearly 30-year-old company has always promoted a work hard, play hard mentality, supporting employees’ mental and physical wellness through unique perks like an onsite fitness center, a lake with kayak and paddle board rentals, an annual family-fest, discounted ride-sharing fares, tuition reimbursement and more.
For more information about Power Design, visit: www.powerdesigninc.us
