The Tampa Bay Lightning announced today that they have entered into an agreement with Amalie (rhymes with family) Oil Company, giving them the naming rights to the former Tampa Bay Times Forum. Here is the announcement from the team:
Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC has entered into a long-term partnership with Amalie Oil Company (AM-a-lee), giving the manufacturer of motor oils and industrial lubricants naming rights to the downtown Tampa home of more than 100 events per year, including the home games of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Storm, Chairman and Governor Jeff Vinik announced today. The recently renovated 19,204 seat arena, which opened in 1996 as the home of the Lightning, will be hereafter entitled “Amalie Arena.” The arena naming rights had been controlled by the Tampa Bay Times (formerly St. Petersburg Times) since 2002. Although it cedes the naming rights of the arena to Amalie, The Times will remain the organization’s exclusive print partner.
“I am pleased that the Barkett family has chosen to partner with our organization in displaying the good name of its local, family owned company on our facility,” said Vinik upon making the announcement. “Like Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, the Barkett family and Amalie Oil are heavily vested in our community, providing jobs and stimulating economic activity. The brothers share our vision and values and we look forward to a long and healthy partnership working together to achieve business and community objectives.”
Founded in 1903, Amalie Oil Company has been located on 29 acres in the Port of Tampa since 1977, employing 250 local residents, supplying motor oil and industrial lubricants to international oil companies, automotive retailers, distributors, mass merchandisers and private label customers in 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Amalie Oil Company is involved in the motorsports industry and it has held the naming rights to the arena football field for the Tampa Bay Storm since 2011. The arena naming rights partnership precedes future plans for a greater focus on the Amalie brand along with increased retail and distribution channels.
“We have been inspired by Jeff Vinik in the way he does well in business and how he does well by the community,” said Harry Barkett, Amalie President and Chief Executive Officer and one of the four Barkett brothers who own and operate the company. “We like how those two ideals can work together and we share those values.”
“As a local and family owned business, our goal is to invest right back into the community that has offered our family and our employees a good life and we like the association with sports, fun, family and leisure time. Amalie Arena is also right in the heart of the Channelside District and that makes it just about the perfect sponsorship. We are very excited about it.”
The Tampa Bay Times will remain a major partner (and the exclusive print partner) of the Lightning, the Storm and Amalie Arena, signing a new agreement with the organization this week. The Times secured the naming rights partnership in 2002 (St. Pete Times Forum) and changed the name of the arena when the paper became the Tampa Bay Times on January 1, 2012.
“We look forward to this next phase of our relationship with the Lightning and the Vinik organization,” said Paul Tash, chairman and chief executive officer of the Tampa Bay Times. “Putting our name on the ‘Forum’ helped the St. Pete Times connect with new customers, and then helped establish the Tampa Bay Times as our new name. Those business goals have been met and we now offer hearty congratulations to the folks at Amalie Oil Company. I hope this decision works as well for them as it did for us.”
The Times’ new partnership includes the naming rights to one of the arena’s two club level hospitality lofts, interior and exterior signs (including dasher boards), full LED and game presentation during Lightning and Storm games, along with extensive community and hospitality functions.
“We appreciate and value our ongoing partnership with the Tampa Bay Times and its leadership,” said Vinik. “We are pleased to have helped the Times solidify its brand locally and nationally, and we remain proud to move forward with a continued strong relationship between the organizations.”
AMALIE OIL COMPANY
Amalie Oil Company, founded in 1903, is a global leader in the manufacturing and marketing of motor oil and industrial lubricants, shipping to 50 states and over 100 countries. Located in the Port of Tampa on a 29 acre production site, the family owned and operated company has over 250 employees that blend and package over 3,000 products from 8-ounce plastic bottles to bulk-rail transports. For more information, please visit: amalie.com
TAMPA BAY SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment, LLC is an entity controlled by Jeff Vinik and its holdings include the National Hockey’s League’s Tampa Bay Lightning, the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm and the leasehold rights to the newly named Amalie Arena, the 19,204-seat downtown Tampa home in which the teams play their games. Vinik purchased the Lightning and the leasehold rights to the arena in March, 2010 and has since led a complete brand and business transformation, establishing the company as one of the leading sports and entertainment entities in the United States.
TAMPA BAY TIMES
The Tampa Bay Times is widely considered one of the Top Ten newspapers in America and has won 10 Pulitzer Prizes. It is Florida’s largest newspaper, with an average circulation of 355,853 Sunday and 299,985 daily (AAM FAS-FAX September 2013). The Times is produced by the Times Publishing Company, which also publishes tampabay.com – Tampa Bay’s largest local news Web site with 2.1 million unique visitors each month (Nielsen NetView six-month average for 8/13-1/14). Additionally, the Times publishes the free daily tbt* and Florida Trend, a monthly business magazine.
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