Jarrow-based UTS Engineering, which netted a sponsorship with Dunston UTS FC ten years ago, says the deal has played a major role in raising its profile in the region.
During this period, UTS has seen the club go from strength-to-strength, including Northern League Division 1 champions 2019, earning it promotion to the Evo-Stik East League and 2012 winners of the FA vase at Wembley.
Shaun Sadler, managing director, UTS engineering, said: “We are celebrating our 10th anniversary as sponsors and it has been a great partnership. Our deal with Dunston UTS FC has significantly boosted our profile in the region and I would encourage other companies to look at local sponsorships, given the benefits that we have enjoyed over a sustained period of time.
“What is fantastic to see is that we are matching each other step for step. As the club develops, so do we. We have had significant achievements in recent years, including the opening of a major facility in Newport, Wales, growing influence in the UAE and the purchase of a manufacturing facility in Hull last year. You could say we have had great success in our league!”
“What makes us so compatible with the football club is that we carry the same vision. Both organisations are highly ambitious, forward-thinking, adaptable to change and new techniques and we recognise that our successes are based on a strong team culture.”
With customers in the utility, industrial and commercial markets, UTS produces a vast range of couplings, flange adapters and repair clamps for customers in the UK and export markets. Its unique selling point is having the capability to provide almost any product for the piping industry, to incorporate tailor-made solutions and to fabricate its products to suit any size of diameter and oval pipes, if required.
Malcolm James, Dunston UTS FC, club chairman, said: “Compared to other teams we compete against, we are just a small district in Gateshead and without sponsorship from UTS Engineering it would be a struggle for us financially, especially now that we have been promoted to the Evo-Stik East League. The furthest we had to travel in Division One was to Penrith but we will now be going as far as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, so our travel budget is set to increase greatly.
“We allocate UTS sponsorship to nearly all aspects of the day-to-day club operational budget and also to the maintenance of the general facilities. In fact, we are set to make some major improvements to the ground before the start of the next season and this is thanks to UTS and a grant from the Football Association.
“We have over 11,000 followers on social media and post regular news which always features the UTS banner. We get up to half a million views on our updates and that is great exposure for our sponsor.”