PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Timbers today announced that KeyBank will be the exclusive banking partner for the Major League Soccer (MLS) team as it begins play in 2011.
As part of the multi-year Founding Partnership, the KeyBank Club and KeyBank Plaza will be featured as prominent additions to a newly renovated stadium for the Timbers. The partnership also includes fully integrated, co-marketing initiatives and an emphasis on youth-focused community programs.
“Getting in on the ground floor with the Timbers lets us support greater Portland’s ascent to the top level of professional soccer in this country,” said Brian Rice, KeyBank’s president in Oregon and Southwest Washington. “It will give us powerful new ways to support the community,” he added, “starting with a program to give underprivileged youth greater access to Timbers games.”
The 5,500-square-foot KeyBank Club will be located at midfield of the new eastside seating structure and will include a full-service restaurant and premium indoor and outdoor areas available to KeyBank Club ticket holders. KeyBank Plaza will be located at the 18th Avenue entrance to the newly renovated MLS stadium and will be one of the main entrances and gathering points for fans on game days.
“This meaningful sponsorship underscores Key’s shared interest in supporting our community,” said Merritt Paulson, president of the Timbers. “Key’s strong national brand will strengthen the Timbers’ position and help our team reach a statewide audience.”
About MLS Portland Timbers
On March 20, 2009, Major League Soccer (MLS) awarded Portland the league’s 18th franchise to begin play in the top-flight professional soccer league starting in 2011. The Portland Timbers will mark their debut MLS season in 2011 in a significantly renovated PGE Park that will create one of the most unique and authentic soccer environments in the country. New stadium amenities will include better sightlines closer to the action, new premium seating on the east side of the field, a new KeyBank Club and a team store. The Timbers have been a beloved part of the Portland sports landscape since their early beginnings in the North American Soccer League in 1975, launching the era of “Soccer City USA” in the Rose City.
About KeyBank
KeyBank operates 80 branches in Oregon and Southwest Washington, stretching from Vancouver, Wash., south along Interstate 5 to Ashland, Ore. Cleveland-based KeyCorp is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $94 billion. Key companies provide investment management, retail and commercial banking, consumer finance, and investment banking products and services to individuals and companies throughout the United States and, for certain businesses, internationally. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/
