Australian electrical giant joins the V8 Supercar Championship Series

Release Date: 04/02/2008 Australias leading electrical wholesalers Lawrence and Hanson and Auslec have joined an elite group of the countrys multi nationals in announcing the V8 Supercar Championship Series as the major platform for its client, corporate and marketing activities.

Under the Hagemeyer Australia banner, Lawrence & Hanson and Auslec have signed a two-year deal with V8 Supercars Australia as a major Series sponsor, naming rights sponsor of the newly announced L&H 500 at Phillip Island and importantly becoming the first official sponsor of the new street race in Townsville from 2009.

Lawrence & Hanson has also become a major sponsor of V8 Supercar Championship Series team Ford Performance Racing to spread their sponsorship across all levels of the sport.

“Lawrence & Hanson have recognised the vast benefits that V8 Supercars has in a nation-wide platform to deliver their message to their client base and touch the entire country,” V8 Supercars Australia Chairman Tony Cochrane said in announcing the deal today.

“Importantly they have encompassed the sport at all levels through their association with FPR, the L&H 500 and the Series itself. It is also significant that they are the first of many blue chip companies to officially recognise the potential of the street race in Townsville by becoming an event sponsor.

“We expect many others to follow in adding their brand to the Townsville race which will become the largest event in the region and deliver enormous flow-on benefits to all those associated with it.”

Lawrence & Hanson will utilise the V8 Supercar sponsorship to leverage their customer relationships across more than 20,000 individual customers. The company recently surveyed these customers and found the 40 per cent of their client base were followers of the V8 Supercar Championship Series.

“Our customer research has shown the V8 Supercar Championship Series is a prime sporting interest to our customer base,” Martin Dench, Group Marketing Manager explained.

“Our relationship with V8 Supercars Australia allows us to us to entertain our valuable customers in style and offer them the ultimate race track experience,” Martin continued. “‘The L&H 500 at Phillip Island presents us a wonderful opportunity to sponsor the 1st key endurance round of the year and provides a sensational platform for promotions and client entertainment.”

As part of the package, Lawrence & Hanson will offer their client corporate hospitality and a range of money can’t buy experiences such as ‘hot laps’, grid walks and behind the scenes tours at selected events around the country. They will also offer their clients the use of family friendly zones at selected events.

Lawrence & Hanson Snapshot:

Trading under the highly respected electrical, industrial and safety products business identities of Lawrence & Hanson and Auslec, the group is Australia's largest electrical distributor and wholesaler. There are over 180 Lawrence & Hanson and Auslec branches across Australia in strategically located metropolitan and regional areas. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hagemeyer NV, the Asia Pacific operation is part of a global business-to-business group that employs over 17,000 staff members in 60 countries, with revenues in excess of $A10.3 billion (EUR 6.2 billion).