Power Design and South Florida Athletics Announce Career Development Partnership
August 31, 2026 | General
Power Design will be the presenting sponsor of South Florida’s “Enhancing U” program
TAMPA (August 31, 2026) – Two Tampa Bay area leaders announced a multi-year partnership on Monday designed to highlight the strength of the University of South Florida's student-athletes and Power Design's commitment to the community.
The St. Petersburg-based national design-build contractor and South Florida Athletics designed the partnership to educate Bulls student-athletes on internships and future employment opportunities though South Florida's 'Enhancing U' program, which gives them additional resources, connection and real-world insight to help them prepare for the success beyond the playing field. Bulls student-athletes will have opportunities to connect with Power Design leaders and team members through mentorship, career guidance and professional development. The partnership illustrates how two area industry leaders can work together to have a lasting impact on the community.
"One of our first priorities when we arrived on campus was to enhance our relationships in the Tampa Bay community and that starts with aligning ourselves with likeminded brands," CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins said. "It was very clear from our first conversation with the leadership at Power Design that they truly care about helping accelerate the growth of our student-athletes by empowering them for their professional life after their playing days are over. It speaks volumes that an industry leader like Power Design is excited to invest in its future through a dynamic partnership with South Florida Athletics that also is an investment in the future of our amazing student-athletes."
"At Power Design, we've built our company by betting on people and giving them the tools and room to grow," said Lauren Permuy, Chief Growth Officer at Power Design. "South Florida is developing talented, driven students who bring discipline, accountability, and a team-first mindset to everything they do. This partnership is about helping them turn those strengths into meaningful careers and creating more opportunity right here in Tampa Bay."
Power Design is a family-owned, national multi-trade contractor and one of the largest private employers in the Tampa Bay area. With more than 3,000 employees working across 28 states, the company is headquartered on a 42-acre campus in St. Petersburg and operates a 350,000-square-foot prefabrication and distribution facility in Palmetto.
About Power Design
Power Design is a national vertically integrated Design-Build Contractor providing control and certainty through in-house delivery of engineering, multi-trade construction, prefabrication, manufacturing, and distribution. Since 1989, we've built our reputation by breaking the barriers of today and thinking well beyond tomorrow. We question assumptions, simplify complexity, reduce risk, and accelerate results for our partners. With hundreds of projects across the country, we preserve our culture and quality through deep investments in our people: training, safety, recognition, trade advocacy, community impact, and values-based initiatives that make Power Design a great workplace and supporting family. By pushing the boundaries of what design-build can be, we're changing the possibilities of partnership. To learn more, visit powerdesigninc.us.
About South Florida Athletics
The University of South Florida sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, competed in its 60th season in 2025-26.
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of South Florida's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 160 conference titles across 18 sports, with 85 men's championships and 75 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, South Florida has secured 42 conference team titles.
Academically, South Florida student-athletes have achieved a program record of 23 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or better as of spring 2026. Since 2015, more than 900 Bulls have earned their degrees.
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Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
