Giants Go Eco
Tagged in: In The News, NBL
Pete McNae, Nelson Mail
It’s been a tough week for the National Basketball League.
The Otago Nuggets are gone, for one season at least, while the Bay Hawks and Canterbury Rams are hanging on by the tips of their talons and hooves, respectively.
So, when the Nelson Giants secured a new long-term naming rights sponsor, they knew they had something to celebrate.
The team will take the court next season as the ecogise Nelson Giants, solidifying a 15-year relationship with Nelson company director Mat Charles.
Charles, through his Boxman group of companies, first supported the Giants as a corporate box holder, stepping up his commitment to second-tier level in recent seasons. It seemed logical to take the next step when the naming rights became available for 2009 and beyond.
Nenad’s [Vucinic, the Giants franchise owner] been pursuing this option for the last three years or so but I have wanted to make sure we had the company in the right position to go in and make it really work for the longer term,” Charles said.
“We’ve been flying under the radar a bit but it’s a good time now to get ecogise out there and the Giants are a great way to reach the public.”
Unlike the Boxman companies, which have become the nation’s second-largest outlet for container sales, leasing and storage, ecogise specialises in sustainable energy solutions. It has expertise in off-grid power supply, solar heating and power, wind-powered electricity generation and mini hydro systems.
“Basically, if you want to reduce your power bills through the traditional supply or free yourself from reliance on the national grid and all the potential issues there, we can design, source, build and install something sustainable, high-quality and reliable,” Charles said.
“Power has been cheap in New Zealand and sustainable solutions haven’t been a priority but that is going to change. We are going to find ourselves more like Europe and that’s where ecogise can see a project through from concept to completion.”
Giants marketing manager James King said the current business climate made securing a naming rights sponsor a major breakthrough.
“It is tough, businesses are looking at every dollar so Mat’s decision to step up is huge for the Giants. He’s been with us for years in various capacities but taking the naming rights is a major step for any company,” he said.
“It gives us security where other teams have none.”
The Boxman group is no stranger to sponsorship. Besides its association with the Giants, it has been the major backer of the Nelson rally, while it also supports Toyota Racing Series driver Christina Orr and champion figure skater Kasey Murdoch.
“You can’t quantify the worth of sponsorship,” Charles said. “All I know is that while the company has national branches, we have our home in Nelson, we hire Nelson people, we design and build here and we choose to channel a percentage of the money we make back into the town.”
Giants head coach Chris Tupu welcomed the news.
“From my perspective, it’s fantastic to have a longtime supporter of the Giants moving up in the ranks. It’s a Nelson company making that connection with a Nelson team and that has to be great news for both sides.”
While unwilling to put a dollar value on the current deal, Charles anticipates an even greater commitment from ecogise in future. With new technology and new products being developed and a greater awareness of ecogise’s services flowing from the basketball connection, he expects the sponsorship to flourish.
“We’ve been beavering away behind the scenes for two years with this company and it’s ready to take off. When that happens, I have already told Nenad we will be stepping up the sponsorship deal.
“I see no reason why this can’t be a long and beneficial deal for both parties. The Giants will help take us to the national stage using their profile, success and very strong record and we will give them the support to do it.”
The 2009 National Basketball League season, featuring the nine surviving teams, is due to tip-off in March.
