Germain Arena will soon have a new name— and a new look to go with it.
Hertz has signed a naming-rights agreement with the Florida Everblades that will rename the home of the Everblades hockey team to Hertz Arena.
The news comes as the Estero-based rental car giant celebrates its 100th anniversary. Hertz's CEO will ring the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
Plans for the arena call for changes inside and out that will clearly say Hertz. Think bright yellow with bold black accentsto match the company's classic color scheme.
The exterior design of Hertz Arena, which would give it a sunny glow, would have to be approved by the Village of Estero. Estero has a preferred Mediterraneanlook, so one factor the Village Council might consideris whether it fits into that mold.
The design is expected to be voted onat a public meeting Sept. 26.
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If Estero approves Hertz's design, the company hopes to unveil it by the end of the year. Changes to the inside are still being finalized, so there isn't much to share yet, said Jodi Allen, Hertz's chief marketing officer.
The village approved the company's headquarters, which is white, sleek and modern — looking nothing like what's proposed for the arena or anything else in its neighborhood — a few years ago, paving the way for its relocation.
KathrynMarinello, Hertz's president and CEO, said there's more than one reason to go with a yellow tinge inside and out at the arena.
"We're in the Sunshine State," she said. "I think it's a win for the local community, the business community and the individuals from a pride and presence perspective."
This won't be the first name change for the roughly 7,000-seat arena.
When Florida Everblades president and General ManagerCraigBrush negotiated a 20-year contract with TECO Energy in 1999, his first thought was “I won’t have to worry about this again.”
Not so fast.
Germain Arena followed TECO in 2004 and lasted until this year.
And now Hertz Corp. enters the picture.
“To join an iconic company like Hertz is a really wonderful thing for our organization,” Brush said. “I live a mile (from) the headquarters and drive by it every day. The fact it’s 5 miles away from us will create a number of synergies."
He described the past partnership with Germain Motor Co. and with Bob Germain in particular as fantastic.
Germain’s contract was going to run through August2019, but Brush said Germain “will release us from the agreement.”
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Brush said discussions began with Hertz officials about a year ago in earnest, and many hours went into putting thedeal together.
"We will be working with the Everblades to bring promotions and additional community events to life on a day-to-day basis," Allensaid. "They have a lot of amazing events at the arena."
Since Hertz relocated to Estero in 2015, it has been committed to establishing strong roots in the community for its customers and employees who live, work and travel here, shesaid.
"We are super proud to call Estero our home, and we are dedicated to making a positive impact in our community," Allensaid.
The naming-rights agreement, she said, is a way to strengthen Hertz's presence in Southwest Florida and especially in Estero.
Details of the contractweren't shared, other than it's a multiyear agreement.
"It's a private contract, and we cannot disclose the financial terms that we have reached with them," Allen said.
This is one of many partnershipsHertz has struckto bring its brand to life and to demonstrate the commitment behind its tagline "we're here to get you there,"Allensaid. Some of its other well-known partners include HendrickAutomotive, Topgolf and NASCAR.
Hertz also has partnerships with some of the largest airlines and hotel chains.
The arena, Marinello said, will be another way for Hertz to give back to a community it's sohappy to be in.
"We are just excited about being in Estero and Southwest Florida," she said. "We have employees saying, 'What's not to love about it?' People save their money all year long to come to vacation here or save their entire life to retire here. We are fortunate to be headquartered here and to provide that opportunity to well over 700 employees and their families."
The announcement about the naming rights and ringing the closing bell are greatways to kick off the next 100 years for Hertz, Marinello said.
"We are definitely looking forward to another 100 years of taking transportation and getting customers where they need to go to a new level of service, capability and innovation," she said.
The Hertz Corp., a subsidiary of Hertz Global Holdings Inc., operates the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands, with about 10,200 corporate and franchisee locations in North America and other countries.
When asked if the new naming rights agreementmeans he'll continue running the team for a few more years, Brushjoked, “They’ll probably take me out of here in a pine box.”
But he said he’s still open to selling the club.
“There’s still some opportunities,” he said. “(My interest) has never waned. I like what I do. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t do this. My golf game stinks. I thoroughly enjoy what I do, and I’d like to keep busy.”
In 20 years the Everblades have made 19 appearances in the playoffs, won six division titles, three conference championships and that elusive Kelly Cup title in 2012.
From 2017:Germain Arena, Florida Everblades, Swampee are 20 years old
Fifty-seven Blades have played in the NHL, and more than 4 million spectators have attended the hockey games.
The arena has been used as a multipurpose venue for indoor footballand college and pro basketball as well as graduations, concerts, ice shows, circuses, boxing, mixed martial arts,Total Nonstop Action Wrestlingshows,World Wrestling Entertainmentshows andProfessional Bull Ridersevents.
“It’s a milestone to get to 20 years,” Brush said. “I don’t like the fact we’ve outsurvived other teams to stay around. We’re in a great area; you can’t minimize that. When I look outside the doors here, when we came 20 years ago, it was a rural area that was basically the university and an outlet mall under construction. The growth in Estero has been fantastic.
“And when you add Hertz to the mix ... between the two of us, the economic impact is remarkable.”
