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The chairman of the Cambria County War Memorial Authority believes the War Memorial Arena can be profitable without having to sell the naming rights to the building.
On Monday, the authority listened to a presentation from The Superlative Group of Cleveland about how the company would search for a business to purchase the naming rights, thus helping the arena’s bottom line.
Authority Chairman Dean Gindlesperger said the presentation was interesting but believes the arena can make a profit on its own.
In addition to the authority, two other groups also would have to approve the selling of the naming rights – veterans groups and the Cambria County commissioners, he said.
“We won’t do the project without the approval of the veterans groups,” Gindlesperger said.
“It’s a living tribute to those who gave their lives serving our country. With that in mind, that has to be our foremost consideration.”
The Superlative Group would charge between $50,000 and $90,000 for an 18-month retainer to work on the deal plus would receive 16 percent of the amount for which the naming rights sold, he said.
Gindlesperger said the authority does not have the money to pay for a retainer, nor does he believe that the county commissioners have set aside money for that purpose.
The idea for the presentation came about from SMG, the company operating the arena, he said.
SMG has worked with the company before and asked if it could have The Superlative Group make a presentation.
SMG believes the arena will never be profitable without selling the naming rights but the authority doesn’t necessarily agree with that assumption, Gindlesperger said.
Marty Kuhar, chairman of the authority’s veterans committee, said the presentation was a good one.
“The real question is whether we as a community would ever want to change the name,” he said. “I think it’s a very difficult decision.”
Any decision would have to be based on the opinion of all veterans in Cambria County, he said.
He said he has spoken to a couple of veterans already on the matter and all are staunchly opposed to the idea, he said.
In another matter, Tom Eggert, exalted ruler of Elks Lodge 175 in Geistown, presented the authority with a $650 donation for the Veterans Memorial Museum, located in the lobby of the arena.
Kuhar thanked the Elks for the donation and for the organization’s patriotism and support of veterans over the years.
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