PORTLAND, OR--(Marketwire - March 14, 2011) - The Portland Timbers and JELD-WEN today announced an historic new naming rights partnership for the Major League Soccer (MLS) team's newly renovated home venue, which now will be known as JELD-WEN Field. The multiyear deal provides stadium naming rights for the iconic downtown Portland venue that annually will play host to Timbers home games, college and high school football games, and a wide variety of sports, entertainment and community-related events.
JELD-WEN, an Oregon-based manufacturing company employing about 2,500 Oregonians dedicated to crafting reliable windows and doors, and the Timbers, who will mark their debut season in MLS in 2011, made the announcement together at JELD-WEN Field today. JELD-WEN Field officially will be opened to the public when the Timbers play host to the Chicago Fire on Thursday, April 14, in their first-ever home match as an MLS team.
Additionally, JELD-WEN becomes the Official Window and Door Provider of the Timbers and Major League Soccer, and will enter into a robust and integrated partnership with the Timbers on a number of important community initiatives, both locally and statewide. The League partnership gives JELD-WEN the right to use MLS League and Club marks along with logos and marketing assets at League and select Club events such as the MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup, Major League Soccer's championship game.
"From a branding standpoint, partnering with the Timbers and Major League Soccer is an ideal fit for JELD-WEN," remarked JELD-WEN chief marketing officer Steve Wynne. "Naming rights to JELD-WEN Field and marketing partnerships with both the Timbers and Major League Soccer provide support for an historic Oregon icon, grassroots involvement throughout the state, and access to a loyal, international fan base."
"Soccer is an international sport and we're an international company," noted Wynne. "We have customers or JELD-WEN operations in every city where MLS competes from Toronto to Houston and, of course, now here in Portland. We're extending the reach of the JELD-WEN brand to homeowners we likely haven't reached before and who care about the comfort and energy efficiency of their homes."
JELD-WEN, a company committed to its local communities, will become a Founding Partner of the Portland Timbers Community Fund (PTCF) as part of the multi-dimensional partnership and will donate 25 tickets for each Timbers home game as part of its active involvement with the Timbers' "Tix for Kids" community program for underprivileged youth. Additionally, JELD-WEN and the Timbers will partner with Friends of Trees to plant a tree for every goal scored by the team this season.
"It would be an understatement to say that many factors enter into a decision as important as our naming rights partnership," said Merritt Paulson, president of the Timbers. "The fact that JELD-WEN is an Oregon-based company, has a deep-rooted history in our community and is so committed to giving back makes this marriage an ideal one for the Timbers."
As part of the partnership, JELD-WEN's naming rights will provide exclusive naming exposure and signage inside and outside JELD-WEN Field, including marquee signage at the main entrances; state-of-the-art, field-level LED signage during Timbers home matches; and additional promotional elements throughout JELD-WEN Field's concourses.
JELD-WEN Field will play host to a variety of sports and entertainment events each year, including home games for the MLS Timbers, Portland State University home football games and select Portland Timbers reserve team and Timbers U-23s games. Additionally, JELD-WEN Field will be the site of high school football games, college and high school soccer games and camps, community events, concerts, and both private and public functions utilizing the many new amenities and gathering spaces included in the current renovation to the downtown Portland venue. Fans will be able to access updated JELD-WEN Field information at www.JELD-WENField.com as the site is fully developed in the coming weeks.
Note to media: All references to the Timbers' home stadium now should be JELD-WEN Field.
About JELD-WEN, inc.
JELD-WEN, inc. is the world's leading manufacturer of reliable windows and doors. Based in Klamath Falls, Ore., JELD-WEN began in 1960 as a small Oregon millwork plant with 15 employees and today has approximately 2,500 employees in Oregon and nearly 20,000 worldwide. JELD-WEN was named by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy a 2010 and 2003 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. JELD-WEN has been the official window, door and millwork provider to the PGA TOUR since 2003. For more information about JELD-WEN, visit www.jeld-wen.com.
About JELD-WEN Field
JELD-WEN Field is an iconic sports and entertainment facility located in the heart of downtown Portland, Ore. at 1844 SW Morrison. JELD-WEN Field will play host to a wide variety of events each year, including Portland Timbers MLS soccer, Portland State University football, college and high school football and soccer, concerts, community events and public and private functions. JELD-WEN Field will open to the public on April 14, 2011, after a significant renovation crafted to create one of the most unique and authentic soccer environments in the country as the Timbers mark their debut season in Major League Soccer. Originally constructed in 1926, JELD-WEN Field is an historic civic gathering place that has played host to some of the region's most memorable events, including presidential visits, a 1957 concert by Elvis Presley, the National Football League's first game decided by overtime, Pele's official last professional game and the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup. For more information, visit www.JELD-WENField.com.
-- visit www.portlandtimbers.com --
Contact Information:
Chris Metz
(503) 553-5433
cmetz@portlandtimbers.com
Teri Cline
(541) 882-3451
teric@jeld-wen.com
Sean Dennison
(212) 450-1223
sean.dennison@MLSsoccer.com
