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EDITORS and NEWS/PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTORS: Press releases can be downloaded at www.fresnostatenews.com. University Relations also provides releases for news media companies via e-mail. To be added to the distribution list, send your e-mail address to tomu@csufresno.edu. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 18, 2002 (with Nov. 2003 Updates) Contact: Shirley Melikian Armbruster 278-2795 Save Mart Center will be Home Ice for Fresno Falcons Officials from the Fresno Falcons of the West Coast Hockey League announced today (March 18) that the Falcons will make the Save Mart Center at Fresno State their home ice starting in the 2003 season. The Falcons become
the first non-university entity who will use the new 450,000-square-foot
Save Mart Center, a sports and
Charles N. Davenport IV, chairman of Chandar Sports and president of the Falcons, said the team and the Save Mart Center are “an absolutely perfect fit.” "The Fresno Falcons Hockey Club is committed to providing our customers with the best entertainment experience possible and we are thrilled to be able to showcase our product in what will be a state-of-the-art entertainment venue,” Davenport said. Save Mart Center officials echoed that sentiment. “We are pleased that the Fresno Falcons have chosen to be part of the Save Mart Center,” said Deborah Adishian-Astone, executive director of Auxiliary Services at Fresno State and Save Mart Center coordinator. “This arrangement is one of the many that we expect to reach in an effort to bring premier entertainment events to the Central Valley,” she said. “We are very impressed with the success and presence that the Fresno Falcons have received under their new ownership. The team’s ownership has expressed their commitment to keep the Falcons in Fresno and usage of the Save Mart Center was a determining factor,” Adishian-Astone said. The Fresno Falcons, who currently play games at Selland Arena in downtown Fresno, are on the way to a single-season franchise attendance record of more than 200,000. At the current pace, that plateau will be reached in early April. Through their first 28 games at Selland, the team has drawn 162,041 fans (an average of 5,787 per game). Last season the organization drew a franchise best 190,832. "We feel that this move to the Save Mart Center will help to solidify our place as a top quality entertainment choice in the Fresno community, and it will help to put our franchise in the national spotlight as an example of how professional sports teams should and need to be operated," Davenport said. Construction of the Save Mart Center began in December 2001 at the corner of Shaw and Chestnut avenues on the east side of the campus. Clark Construction is the builder of the 450,000-square-foot facility, which is the largest privately-financed project in the history of the 23-campus California State University system. A $74 million bond sale to finance the center was enthusiastically received in January by investors who made commitments to purchase all of the bonds, offered by the California State University, Fresno Association, Inc. through Salomon Smith Barney Inc., the underwriter for the sale. The association, a nonprofit auxiliary organization that supports the university, sold senior Series 2002 bonds. Bonds are typically used by the government and nonprofit organizations to finance large capital construction projects. For more information, see www.SaveMartCenter.com or call (559) 278-2795. EDITORS: Guided tours into the construction site are available by appointment. Please call University Relations to make arrangements. SEE FOLLOWING: Biographies of Charles Davenport IV and Greg Schuh Charles N. Davenport, IV – Chairman, Chandar Sports Charles Davenport, chairman of Chandar Sports California, has served as president of the Fresno Falcons since Chandar Sports purchased the team on March 1, 2000. Under his guidance and resources, the Falcons were named the West Coast Hockey League’s Organization of the Year for creating what WCHL President Mike McCall called “the single most significant turn-around season in the six-year history of the WCHL.” Chandar Sports’ acquisition of the Falcons marked the first step in the company’s plan to acquire and cultivate diverse holdings in the areas of sports and entertainment. In addition to his role with Chandar Sports, Davenport also serves on the Board of Directors for SeaWest WindPower, the world’s leading independent developer of wind energy plants with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Sweden. Davenport, a graduate of San Diego State University, is a native of San Diego where he currently resides. Greg Schuh, Senior Vice President Greg Schuh took over as Senior Vice President of the Fresno Falcons in January of 2003 after four and a half years with the Topeka Scarecrows of the Central Hockey League and later the United States Hockey League. Schuh oversees the daily business operations of the Falcons, who will make their Save Mart Center debut as members of the 31-team ECHL, America’s Premier “AA” Hockey League. At the time of his departure from Topeka, Schuh was general manager of business operations. Prior to joining the Scarecrows, he owned and operated Collegiate Sports Design, Inc., a souvenir marketing company for which he was named an Ernst & Young/INC. Magazine “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist in 1993. During his 12 years running his own business, Schuh created souvenir-marketing programs for the NCAA, NAIA, ABC Sports and the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. |
