On Wednesday, it was announced that WVU Athletics has landed a new partnership with an in-state sponsor which includes a WVU-themed paint job that will debut this weekend in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The Mountaineers have inked the sponsorship with Grant County Mulch , a company based in Petersburg, W.Va. Founded in 1986 by Verlin Larry Berg and his wife Janie, Grant County Mulch is a family-owned business with ten plants and distribution centers located across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. As a part of the deal, they will become known as the "official mulch supplier" for WVU Athletics.
"We're incredibly proud to partner with WVU Athletics. Both of us—and our parents—were born and raised in West Virginia, so this partnership means more than business to us," said the Berg family in a press release. "It's about honoring our roots, supporting our home state, and being part of something that represents the pride and spirit of West Virginians everywhere."
"I've spent years in Morgantown, tailgating and cheering from the stands at Milan Puskar Stadium. Partnering with WVU Athletics is surreal—it's something I've dreamed about since I was a kid," added Stacey Berg, who serves as the company's Sales Manager. "This is a full-circle moment for me and our family."
The deal includes typical sponsorship perks for Grant County Mulch, including various traditional and digital ads feature during WVU athletic events, but there's also a neat tie-in for WVU. Grant County Mulch is set to sponsor a CR7 Motorsports entry into a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race this weekend on August 15. The race is set to take place at Richmond Raceway and the truck will be driven by Grant Enfinger.
"We are very excited to welcome Grant County Mulch as the Official Mulch Supplier of WVU Athletics and to partner with them on the CR7 Motorsports entry in the upcoming NCTS race at Richmond," said WVU Deputy Director of Athletics for External Affairs Matt Wells. "Grant County Mulch is a family-owned, West Virginia-based company whose history and brand fit perfectly with WVU Athletics."