Say good-bye to the Agricentre and hello to the UFA Agricentre.
Westerner Park announced on Wednesday that it’s struck a five-year sponsorship agreement with UFA Co-operative Ltd. that will result in the Westerner Park building being renamed the UFA Agricentre. The change takes effect immediately.
Blake Jackson, Westerner Park’s business development manager, said signage reflecting the new name is expected to go up within the next few months.
Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but he said it had been in the works for about five months.
Located on the south end of the Westerner grounds and consisting of about 78,000 square feet, the UFA Agricentre plays host to about 100 agricultural events a year.
Bob Nelson, UFA’s president and CEO, said the co-op’s sponsorship of the building aligns with its commitment to advancing youth programs and agricultural initiatives in rural Alberta.
Westerner Park CEO and general manager John Harms added that the Westerner’s rural roots align with those of UFA, and the two organizations share an interest in agriculture.
The UFA Agricentre is the second Westerner building to be renamed as the result of a sponsorship agreement. In 2001, the Centrium was renamed the Enmax Centrium after Enmax Energy agreed to provide an undisclosed amount of cash and electricity for the right to have its name attached to the facility.
UFA Co-op generates $2.1 billion in annual sales and has nearly 120,000 active members. Its holdings include 113 bulk fuel and cardlock petroleum outlets, 35 Farm and Ranch Supply stores, four fertilizer plants and 25 outdoor adventure stores. It also operates Bar W Petroleum and Electric Ltd., and Spruceland Lumber.
hrichards@www.reddeeradvocate.com