The sports arena in downtown Tampa Bay, Fla., was renamed Amalie Arena under a long-term partnership between lubricants blender and packager Amalie Oil and Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC.
The 19,204 seat arena is home for the National Hockey Leagues Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arena Football Leagues Tampa Bay Storm, and hosts more than 100 events per year. Amalie Oil has held naming rights to the arena when used as the Storms football field since 2011. This will be the first time the facility has had naming rights when used by the Lightning for hockey.
The partnership agreements terms will remain confidential, Amalie president and CEO Harry Barkett said. Barkett noted that the while the dollar value of the publicity from the Amalie name on the arena is difficult to quantify, it has been substantial, and we are pleased.
The arena naming rights partnership precedes future plans for a greater focus on the Amalie brand along with increased retail and distribution channels, Amalie stated in a news release.
This deal reflects our commitment to Tampa, and we think of it as an investment in the community where we live and work, Barkett told Lube Report. One of four Barkett brothers who own and operate Amalie, he noted that the companys goals are to invest in a community project that benefits the quality of life for those who live in our community and to help us establish and grow our Amalie Oil Co. brand. We have looked at several opportunities in the last couple of years, and we liked the relationship we have built with Jeff Vinik through our four-year sponsorship with the Tampa Bay Storm who play on the Amalie Oil field. Vinik controls Tampa Bay Sports and Entertainment LLC.
Amalie has also been involved in motorsports sponsorships. We have no immediate plans to change our current relationships in motorsports, Barkett said.
The Amalie brand was founded in 1903. Amalie was originally known as Petroleum Packers, which was founded in 1957. Petroleum Packers acquired the Amalie brand name in 1998 from Sunoco, which had bought it two years earlier from Witco. Petroleum Packers later renamed itself Amalie Oil.
Amalie has been located on 29 acres in the Port of Tampa since 1977, employing 250 local residents. The company manufactures and markets motor oil and industrial lubricants to international oil companies, automotive retailers, distributors, mass merchandisers and private label customers in 50 states and more than 100 countries.
In March 2006, fuel and oil additive supplier Lucas Oil products announced it agreed to pay $122 million over 20 years to attach its name to the new $500 million stadium then under construction for the National Football Leagues Indianapolis Colts. That opened in 2008.