Air Products Signs on as First Founding Partner Sponsor for Lehigh Valley IronPigs
March 22, 2007 5:07 PM ET
Standing Room-Only Crowd of Employees and Community Leaders “Root, Root, Root for the Home Team” at Noon Press Conference
Air Products (NYSE: APD) announced today that it has signed on as the first Founding Partner Sponsor for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, a new Minor League Baseball team based in Allentown, Pa., serving as the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The announcement was made jointly with Lehigh Valley IronPigs officials during a press conference at Air Products’ headquarters in Trexlertown, Pa. before an audience of 400 employees and guests. Details of the long-term, multi-year agreement were not disclosed.
“We are quite happy to be one of the first area companies to sponsor one of the most significant sporting initiatives in the history of the Lehigh Valley,” said Paul Huck, Air Products’ chief financial officer. “With more than 4,000 employees living and working here, what a terrific addition this team and the new, first-class Coca-Cola Park will be to the quality of life in our area.”
Huck emphasized the value of the company’s investment as one that “brings family-focused entertainment for the benefit of our employees and neighbors, our customers and recruiting efforts, and the economic prosperity of our community.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Air Products,” said IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. “Air Products has taken a leadership position in supporting this significant economic development project for our region.” Echoing Huck’s comments, Landes added, “I’m convinced it will dramatically increase the Lehigh Valley’s quality of life.”
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs will begin playing their home games at Coca-Cola Park in April 2008. Construction of the $48 million facility started in September 2006 and is scheduled for completion by February 2008. The park was designed by HOK Sport Architects, the same firm that designed Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Jacobs Field in Cleveland and Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Lehigh Valley has not had a major league-affiliated baseball team since 1960. For more information: www.ironpigsbaseball.com.
The IronPig name is derived from pig iron, the raw iron melted down to make steel. Much of America was built on steel produced in the Lehigh Valley, and that is a major reason why Air Products established its headquarters in Emmaus, Pa. in 1946 to supply industrial gases to the area’s iron mines and foundries. The company later moved to its current headquarters location in Trexlertown in 1958.
Air Products (NYSE:APD) today serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational excellence and commitment to safety and the environment and is listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability and FTSE4Good Indices. The company has annual revenues of $9 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and over 20,000 employees around the globe. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.
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IronPigs Contact Kurt Landes Tel: (610) 435-3001 E-mail: [email protected]
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