It's Time for the Seventh Inning Stretch-Out - Leather Center places leather chairs in Texas Rangers stadium - Brief Article

Brandweek, Feb 26, 2001 by Hilary Cassidy

Going out to a baseball game at The Ballpark, home of the Texas Rangers in Arlington, just got downright comfy. The Leather Center, with 11 of its 100 furniture stores in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, has partnered with the Major League Baseball team to install 72 leather recliner seats--complete with cup holders--in the air-conditioned Leather Center Lounge, the premium seating located directly behind home plate in the stadium's upscale Gold Club. The club features floor-to-ceiling windows and a panoramic view of the field

"We know the people who go to the Gold Club can afford our furniture," said Fernando Sanchez, evp-marketing, the Leather Center. "They'll see our brochures there and see what we do. And it sets the pace for other stadiums to do something similar." Indeed, the chain is talking to the American Airlines Center, due to open in Dallas this fall, about a similar setup.

To reach the average fan still stuck in the bleachers, the Leather Center will include the Rangers initiative in its catalogs and have signage in the stadium near the Gold Club entrance. The Lounge also will be featured in the Rangers team magazine and will serve as an on-site location for broadcasters.

Program: Leather Center Lounge

Marketers: The Leather Center, Carrollton, Texas; Texas Rangers/Southwest Sports Group, Arlington, Texas

Key Players:

Leather Center: Fernando Sanchez, evp-mktg;

Southwest Sports Group: Jeff Cogen, evp-mktg communications