The Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues will become the newest Major league Soccer (MLS) franchise in 2011, but the organization has already made MLS and U.S. soccer history before ever heading in a corner kick or receiving a red card.
On February 25, the Timbers announced that they will be sponsored by SolarWorld, the country’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. The company’s logo will be on their home green and road white jerseys beginning in the 2010 season.
The partnership marks the first ever sponsorship of a U.S. professional soccer franchise by a renewable-energy company.
Solarworld has three plants on the West Coast, including a 500-megawatt manufacturing plant in Hillsboro, Oregon that opened in 2007. The solar giant is no stranger to the world’s most international sport. The company has a marketing agreement with forward Lucas Podolski of German Bundesliga club FC Cologne. Through their solar2world program, SolarWorld helped bring electricity to a community studio in Africa in order to televise the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
For other solar-related sports stories, check out the following posts from GetSolar: Nascar Track to Get Solar; Solar Olympic Close-Up; and The Super Bowl Gets Solar.
US Soccer Solar #Sponsorship First of its Kind. http://bit.ly/dw0rj5