WTA Signs California Products As Asia-Pacific Sponsor

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced today a multi-year agreement with California Products Corporation, one of the world’s leading court surface providers. Through the partnership, California Products’ DecoTurf and Plexipave brands will become the official court surface of the WTA and of the WTA’s Tennis Festivals in the Asia-Pacific region. The deal marks the third sponsor signed by the WTA in the Asia-Pacific region in the past two years, following partnerships with Jetstar and Peak.

“The WTA’s success and growth in China and Asia-Pacific over the past years is largely thanks to the partnerships that we have formed with leading global brands like California Products,” said Peter Johnston, WTA Managing Director, Asia Pacific. “Partnering with California Products will allow us to provide the very best playing surfaces at both a grassroots and professional level, furthering the popularity of the game.”

“California Products Corporation is proud and honored to be an exclusive court surface provider of WTA Asia Pacific,” said John Graham, Vice President of California Products. “The WTA, Plexipave and DecoTurf are a natural partnership, providing the most acknowledged tennis court surfaces to the highest-profile women’s sport in the world.”

Under the partnership, California Products will provide the tennis courts at the WTA Tennis Festivals, the WTA’s annual grassroots promotional campaign held in Guangzhou and Beijing, which has attracted more than 500,000 fans since 2009. The tennis road show features accredited coaches, interactive games, prizes and appearances from the stars of the WTA and encourages people of all ages to get involved in tennis.

Growth of women’s tennis in Asia-Pacific has been a strategic priority for the WTA. The WTA opened its Asia-Pacific office in Beijing in 2008 to further this growth, and since that time women’s tennis has reached new heights of popularity. The China Open in Beijing became one of the four biggest tournaments on the WTA calendar in 2009 and as a result attendance at the event has increased nearly 96 percent. Since 2010 the WTA and its players social media presence in China has increased to 16 million fans across various platforms such as Sina Weibo, QQ Weibo, Kaixin, Renren, Sohu and Netease, with 2011 Roland Garros champion Li Na leading the way with 5.5 million fans, followed by Zheng Jie with 3.9 million fans. Additionally, in May, the WTA Challenger Series was created to showcase women’s tennis in emerging markets with events scheduled in India and Taipei.

DecoTurf and Plexipave, the most widely recognized court surfaces in the sport of tennis, are divisions of California Products Corporation. DecoTurf’s multi-layer tennis surfaces have been selected for use at the world’s most prestigious events including the US Open since 1978, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, the China Open (Beijing) and at many of the finest facilities around the world. Plexipave’s Plexicushion surface is selected year after year at the Australian Open, ASB Classic (Auckland), Moorilla Hobart International and Apia International (Sydney), because of its ability to provide consistent playing characteristics and its compatibility with all players and styles.

Founded in 1926, California Products Corporation is an innovative manufacturer of quality paints, coatings, and sports surfacing systems. The company headquarters is located just north of Boston in Andover, Massachusetts. The 168,000 square foot facility houses the corporate offices, manufacturing, warehousing and distribution for the company. The facility was constructed in 2000 and is one of the most technologically advanced coatings manufacturing operations in the world. With these state-of-the-art production capabilities, California Products can produce over 50,000 gallons of coatings each day and can accommodate 10 truckloads departing simultaneously.

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