Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cleveland, OH. – November 9, 2022 – The Cleveland Cavaliers and Avery Dennison (NYSE:AVY), a global leader in materials science and solutions that connect the physical and digital worlds, today announced a new partnership that makes the Mentor, Ohio-based Fortune 500 company the “Official Embellishment Partner” of the NBA team.
The announcement comes on the heels of the expansion of Embelex™, Avery Dennison’s suite of solutions for on-garment branding for the global team sports market. They produce digitally-connected embellishments as well as names and numbers for the world’s biggest clubs and leagues including the English Premier League, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid. Avery Dennison also recently announced their partnership as the cutting-edge embellishment partner of the San Francisco 49ers. The partnership with the Cavs represents their first foray into the NBA, while contributing to the community that Avery Dennison, and so many of its employees, call home.
As a signature element of the partnership, the Avery Dennison logo will appear on the upper right chest of the players’ shooting shirts and warm-up jackets. For the Cavs, this marks the first time in franchise history that a partner logo has been featured on these team garments. The logos were produced and applied by Avery Dennison themselves from their Miamisburg, Ohio production location. This is also the location where they produce Embelex for sporting events and international tournaments, including the World Cup to local community events.
Avery Dennison employs over 2500 people strong across manufacturing, corporate, sales, and marketing in Ohio. Their commitment to global DE&I initiatives is also evident through the many employee resource groups (ERGs) across the organization, including the LGBTQIA+ group, UNITE, which recently supported the 8th Annual Stonewall National Tournament and Summit held here in Cleveland last summer.
Avery Dennison will also have a presence throughout the Cavs community platforms during the 2022-23 season, including Women’s History Night, the annual Black Heritage Celebration, and the upcoming Cavs Employee Resource Group Summit.
“Our partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers embodies our commitment to serving as a force for good in the communities where we operate,” said Michael Barton, senior vice president and general manager, Apparel Solutions, RBIS, Avery Dennison. “In addition to providing the Cavs with innovative Embelex solutions, we are proud to jointly support important DE&I initiatives that celebrate the culturally-inclusive fabric that is at the heart of the city of Cleveland,” he added.
The partnership continues Avery Dennison’s trailblazing innovations in fan engagement through teamwear. Their digitally-connected on-garment branding technology, Embelex, enables sports teams and brands to continue engaging with fans in new and exciting ways off the playing field. The Cavs will now be part of this journey to give their loyal fans the opportunity for on-site apparel customization and personalization during home games.
Matt O’Brien, Cavalier senior vice president of global partnerships, adds, “We’re excited to add Avery Dennison, another global company with Northeast Ohio roots, to our family of partners. This agreement is tied together by threads of innovation, hometown love and goodwill in our community. The organic connection that comes with teaming up with a local company like Avery Dennison is real, and it adds a unique layer of pride as we activate this partnership through our global platform.”
To explore more about Embelex™, click here
About Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions
Avery Dennison Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) is a global leader in providing physical and digital labeling solutions that enable brands and retailers to address challenges and opportunities from source through to store, and in consumer engagement. RBIS provides end-to-end solutions, predominantly in the apparel and footwear industry, and is a $1.6 billion division of Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY). Its products include tickets, tags, woven and fabric labels, heat transfers, software, printers and consumables. The Avery Dennison Smartrac division that sits within RBIS is the world’s largest UHF RFID partner, with over 1500 patents and applications worldwide serving multiple industries across retail and industrial segments. RBIS serves the global marketplace with operations in 50 countries, across six continents. For more information, visit https://rbis.averydennison.com/en/home.html
Find out more about Embelex™ at embelex.averydennison.com
ABOUT CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
The Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA Championship in 2016 while also taking the Eastern Conference crown in 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. The team plays at, and also operates, the transformed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse are part of Rock Entertainment Group. The Group also includes the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, Cavs Legion of the NBA 2K League, Legion Lair Lit by TCP home of Cavs Legion in Cleveland, and Cleveland Clinic Courts - the Cavaliers’ training and development center in Independence, Ohio. The Cavaliers are regularly recognized for their extensive community support and engagement programs and contributions, workplace diversity and inclusion leadership, and an on-going economic impact that now registers in the billions of dollars locally. Dan Gilbert is Chairman of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Gilbert and his family of companies have now invested over $2.0 billion in Cleveland. Gilbert is also Founder and Chairman of Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, and Founder and Chairman of Rock Ventures LLC, the umbrella entity for his portfolio of business and real estate investments. Nic Barlage is the Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Rock Entertainment Group CEO, and the Cavaliers team is led by President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman, General Manager Mike Gansey and Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse provide fans the best experience in the NBA with its extensive and stunning array of amenities and technology and signature, electrifying game presentation.