The former Standard Bank Stadium has been renamed, as the Windy City ThunderBolts (independent; Frontier League) have announced that their home is now known as Ozinga Field. The new naming-rights deal was unveiled by the ThunderBolts, Village of Crestwood (IL), and Ozinga.
The Village of Crestwood and Ozinga agreed to a five-year naming rights deal, which will change the name of the South Side entertainment facility for the first time since 2007. The ThunderBolts are included in the deal and will incorporate Ozinga into the team’s baseball operations.
“We are excited to partner with Ozinga and are looking forward to hosting our first event of the 2019 season as Ozinga Field on March 2nd” said ThunderBolts General Manager Mike Lucas. “We are proud to showcase the Ozinga family name to everyone that visits the ballpark for years to come.”
Hundreds of thousands of guests have visited Ozinga Field since it opened in 1999. In addition to hosting professional baseball, the facility is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. Throughout that time, it has hosted concerts, community fireworks displays, celebrity events, and more. The ballpark has been improved in recent years with the addition of a video scoreboard, expanded playground, artificial turf, and new protective netting system.
“When we set out to find a new naming rights partner for our ballpark, we wanted a company that shared the community values of Crestwood and the South Suburbs. With this agreement, I am pleased to say that we have found the ideal partner in Ozinga Brothers” said Village of Crestwood Mayor, Lou Presta.
“We are honored to partner with the Village of Crestwood and the ThunderBolts family,” said Aaron Ozinga, president of Ozinga’s materials and logistics operations. “Our family-owned business is thrilled to be a part in making a fan-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark.”
The ballpark opened as Hawkinson Ford Field and held that name for seven years (1999-2006). A temporary name change, to Hawk Ford Field, was made to start the 2007 season. This lasted until August of that season, when the park was ultimately renamed to Standard Bank Stadium. That deal expired after the 2017 season. Financial terms of the Ozinga Field agreement were not released.
The Ozinga Field name change is effective immediately. The ballpark signage switchover is in process and is expected to be completed by April.
Ozinga is a fourth-generation family-owned American business in the construction materials and logistics industry. The company has been awarded a Top Workplaces honor by the Chicago Tribune for the past five years.