North Johnson's first big move as GM of the Gwinnett Braves: The sale of naming rights to the franchise's ballpark.North Johnson's first big move as GM of the Gwinnett Braves: The sale of naming rights to the franchise's ballpark, as Coolray Heating and Cooling Inc., a locally owned and operated air conditioning, heating and plumbing service provider based in Marietta, has reached a 16-year agreement with the Atlanta Braves to be the stadium naming sponsor of the Gwinnett Braves home field beginning with the 2010 season.
The ballpark will be known as Coolray Field.
“After our first full season of operation, the Gwinnett Braves continue to showcase our strong ties to the community and we are proud to partner with a great community-oriented company,” says Mike Plant, Atlanta Braves Executive Vice President of Business Operations. “Coolray Field will continue to be a great place to bring family and friends and we welcome Coolray into our family.”
As part of their naming rights agreement, Coolray will receive a sign at the main entrance to the ballpark, an LED marquee on Highway 20 and signage on top of the right field scoreboard.
Braves officials wanted to develop relationships with local companies for the naming rights and Coolray stepped forward. Coolray has been serving Gwinnett County since 1966 and Ken Haines, President of Coolray, wanted to help preserve the local identity of the stadium.
"All of us at Coolray wanted to give back to a community in which many of us live and work”, said Haines. "There is a strong affinity between the fans and their hometown team and we acknowledge our responsibility to support something that families all across the metro area genuinely enjoy. We’re excited about this partnership and look forward to the opportunity to grow alongside the Braves and families in Gwinnett County."
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