After dumping former front-of-shirt sponsor DaBella after only one game following sexual harassment allegations against the company’s executives, Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers have found another taker for that prime real estate.
Just before their match Sunday afternoon against their Pacific Northwest rivals, the Seattle Sounders, the Timbers announced that they’ve struck a multi-year deal with Tillamook — a farmer-owned dairy cooperative based in Oregon — to become their new front-of-shirt sponsor. Timbers players wore the company’s logo in that match against Seattle.
Tillamook’s full logo, including a script font wordmark and a weather vane with a sailing ship on top, appears on the Timbers’ green primary jersey. Their secondary jersey, which they wore at home on Sunday, only has the wordmark as the club crest is centered and placed further down on the chest.
“We are absolutely thrilled to bring these two iconic Oregon brands together and to celebrate our state in such a unique way through this expanded partnership. Tillamook is a brand that truly represents the best of Oregon, and the Portland Timbers are incredibly proud to wear the Tillamook name on our jerseys.”
— Heather Davis, Timbers CEO
Tillamook has been a sponsor of the Timbers in some fashion since 2014, though this is the most prominent placement the company has had. Tillamook products are available at concessions throughout the Timbers’ home stadium, Providence Park.
“We’re excited to expand our relationship with the Portland Timbers, and this is truly a result of the fans. When the Timbers began looking for a new jersey sponsor, we received dozens upon dozens of comments from fans pleading with Tillamook to become the jersey sponsor. It will always be important to us to support our home state of Oregon, and the time felt right to further invest in our longstanding partnership with the Timbers, do some good for the community and show appreciation to the fans.”
— Kate Boltin, VP of Marketing, Tillamook
As part of the sponsorship deal, Tillamook will get involved in the Timbers’ Fields for All program, which builds soccer fields and futsal courts for kits in underserved rural Oregon communities. Tillamook employees will also participate in “Stand Together” week in September, supporting non-profit projects and volunteer opportunities across the Portland region.
Tillamook was founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, and their production facilities employ more than 900 people throughout the state of Oregon. The Tillamook Creamery is one of the biggest tourist attractions on the Oregon coast, bringing in more than a million visitors each year.
