Partnership at premier NASCAR track allows Rheem to enhance its brand presence and reinforce its commitment to service excellence throughout the West 

LAS VEGAS (MARCH 2, 2011) — Rheem, a long-time NASCAR sponsor, today has announced a new partnership with Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). Rheem will serve as the official heating, cooling and water heating supplier to LVMS for 2011. This is the first time in the company’s history that Rheem has forged a partnership with a NASCAR track.

"Rheem sees Las Vegas Motor Speedway as one of the premier tracks on the NASCAR circuit and has enjoyed an increasingly successful relationship with it," said Ed Raniszeski, corporate director, marketing for Rheem Manufacturing Company. "We were fortunate to win last year’s Nationwide Series race in Las Vegas and will again take full advantage of the hospitality and many amenities offered by LVMS in 2011. The Nevada, California, Arizona and Utah region is an important market area for Rheem. Our relationship with LVMS helps strengthen our brand presence in the West as well as giving us another opportunity to express our dedication to serving the millions of regional businesses and homeowners with highly reliable, efficient and innovative heating, cooling and water heating product solutions."

This weekend, more than 300,000 NASCAR fans enjoying a full racing schedule at LVMS, and millions of television viewers, will be the first to see one of the results of the LVMS-Rheem partnership. LVMS has erected new trackside signage measuring 23 feet by 64 feet located between turns one and two. Rheem customers and guests will also experience VIP treatment in one of LVMS’s most luxurious suites. The track’s partnership with Rheem will bring a new level of comfort and reliability to LVMS and will be promoted throughout the year at various LVMS events in advertising materials. In the coming months, the LVMS facility’s air and water systems will be evaluated and upgraded with the most advanced and efficient Rheem products available today.

“Our partnership with Rheem is an exciting, creative venture that we’re pleased to unveil in advance of this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 400, Sam’s Town 300, and Stratosphere Pole Day,” said Kevin Camper, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Las Vegas Motor Speedway. ”Eighty-six years ago, Rheem was born in the west and over the years has developed a deep andrich tradition of quality and commitment to doing things right. The company’s products, customer service and innovative thinking will now help support LVMS’s continued growth, and help to enhance the level of comfort we are able to deliver to our guests at LVMS. Rheem’s racing sponsorships and business operations align perfectly with Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s efforts to operate a best-in-class motorsports facility.”

Founded in 1925 in Emeryville, Calif., Rheem has strong roots in the Western U.S., and its support of LVMS is one more way that thecompany is growing its presence in the region. For instance, in Nevada, Rheem is currently collaborating with the Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA), to provide solar water heating systems as part of VEA’s Domestic Solar Water Heating Program. The program is designed to encourage VEA’s members to replace their existing electric or propane powered water heaters with more efficient solar-powered (electric back-up) water heaters.  Similarly, the Rheem family of quality heating and cooling products is available throughout the west and are supported by a vast network of professional contractors, plumbers, servicers, distributors and retail centers.
Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Raypak, Ruud and Rheem, have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water-heating supplier to Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI) and is the primary sponsor of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series “Driver of the Decade” Kevin Harvick and his #33 car.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway (www.lvms.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports, a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States.  For more information visit www.speedwaymotorsports.com.