CHICAGO (Oct. 14, 2015) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced a multi-year partnership with Valspar Corporation, a global leader in the coatings industry, which will be the organization’s new jersey partner beginning in 2016. The partnership includes branding on all Club jerseys, as well as integration into a host of fan and community-based initiatives. Valspar will also serve as the ‘Official Paint of the Chicago Fire.’



“Valspar is a globally recognizable organization with Chicago ties and it was important for us to find a jersey partner that embodies the core values of our Club,” said Chicago Fire Chief Operating Officer Atul Khosla. “The company shares our sense of passion and inclusiveness, and it is an honor for us to place its logo alongside our badge. A collective commitment to our fans and community was also an important feature of the partnership, and we look forward to working with Valspar in the coming years.”



“Valspar is honored to partner with the Chicago Fire, which presents a wonderful opportunity to engage the local community, but also offers us international visibility thanks to soccer’s incredible global presence” said Valspar Vice President and General Manager of North American Consumer Products Aaron Erter. “Major League Soccer’s popularity continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We’re thrilled to be part of the Fire Family and look forward to the collaborative efforts ahead.”



Additional partnership highlights include:

• Valspar logo will adorn jerseys worn by the first team, all nine Academy teams and 15,000 Fire Juniors players

• Valspar will support all Soccer in the Community initiatives, including all camps, clinics and appearances that total more than 20,000 touch points each season

• Valspar will receive entitlement of the stadium’s stage for home games beginning next season

• Valspar will become a Cornerstone Partner at The PrivateBank Fire Pitch, the Fire’s new, $20m soccer facility on Chicago’s North Side

• Valspar will support the award-winning Chicago Fire Foundation and its P.L.A.Y.S. program, which serves more than 500 at-risk children annually



As a paint and coatings company, Valspar is keenly aware of the color and traditions that are so much a part of soccer culture. With that in mind, it extends an offer to provide supplies to supporter groups for the production of banners, overheads, and other visual displays of support for the Fire. It will also team up with Fire staff, players, supporters and community to paint one mural in a Chicago neighborhood each season of the partnership.



“We take pride in working with our partners to help improve the local community,” said Erter. “Through our work with the Chicago Fire, we hope to enhance the spirited and inclusive nature of the soccer community and support valuable, philanthropic activities that are so much a part of that culture.”



In the coming months, the Fire and Valspar will jointly announce opportunities to celebrate the new primary kit for 2016, as well as public opportunities to participate in partnership initiatives.



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About Chicago Fire Soccer Club

Founded on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club continues its 18th Major League Soccer season with six major domestic championship titles including the 1998 MLS Cup and 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 U. S. Soccer Open Cup, and 2003 Supporters Shield. Anchoring Chicago's growing soccer fan base, the Fire play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill., located 15 miles from Chicago's Loop. www.Chicago-Fire.com.



Valspar: If it matters, we're on it.®

Valspar is a global leader in the coatings industry providing customers with innovative, high-quality products and value-added services. Our 10,500 employees worldwide deliver advanced coatings solutions with best-in-class appearance, performance, protection and sustainability to customers in more than 100 countries. Valspar offers a broad range of superior coatings products for the consumer market, and highly-engineered solutions for the construction, industrial, packaging and transportation markets. Founded in 1806, Valspar is headquartered in Minneapolis. Valspar's reported net sales in fiscal 2014 were $4.5 billion and its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol:VAL). For more information, visit www.valspar.com and follow @valspar on Twitter.