Werner is Official Ladder of the NCAA® Men's Basketball Championship

Legendary Coach Tom Izzo Participates in TV Commercial in Connection with Werner's Sponsorship of the National Association of Basketball Coaches

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Apr 04, 2014, 09:00 ET

GREENVILLE, Pa., April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Werner announced today that it will again partner with the NCAA® to provide a custom stepladder for the student-athletes and coaches during the net-cutting ceremony of the NCAA Men's Championship Game hosted in North Texas on April 7. As the official ladder of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship, Werner supplies the custom 9' ladder that has been an integral part of the winning moment when the champion cuts down the net during post-game ceremonies. Werner is the only ladder company to be an official part of the games.

In addition, Werner is an official Corporate Teammate of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). In support of the NABC, Tom Izzo, coach of the 2014 Big Ten Champion Michigan State Spartans, participated in the filming of Werner's new podium ladder TV spot. The video of Coach Izzo has gone viral, and he can be seen dancing on top of the ladder to show you can do "almost anything on a ladder." Support of the NABC helps further the efforts and interests of basketball coaches and players on every level. Through programs like the Guardians of the Game and Coaches vs. Cancer, the NABC has continued to help many causes. For more information on the NABC programs visit www.nabc.org.

"Having a coach as highly regarded and entertaining as Tom Izzo dancing on one of our new ladders is a wonderful sign of how integrated our partnership with NABC and the NCAA Basketball Championship has become," said Chris Filardi, vice president of marketing.

Werner has also launched the Rise Above The Rest Sweepstakes for a chance to win a replica championship ladder. To win a unique piece of history, enter the giveaway at http://riseabove.wernerco.com/. No purchase is necessary to enter the drawing.

A full selection of Werner ladders for both consumers and professionals are available at Lowe's, an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA, and at www.Lowes.com, as well as most professional, hardware and paint retailers nationwide.

ABOUT WERNER®
Werner, the official ladder of the NCAA Basketball Championship, is the world leader in ladders and has a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, attic ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, stepstools, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that's engineered to give you maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. All WERNER products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit http://us.wernerco.com.

ABOUT WERNERCO
WernerCo is a privately owned, fully-integrated, international manufacturer and distributor of climbing products, fall protection equipment and jobsite, truck and van storage equipment. WernerCo has manufacturing, warehousing, sales and distribution facilities in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. WernerCo's international headquarters are in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and its US headquarters are in Greenville, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.wernerworldwide.com.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BASKETBALL COACHES
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, the NABC was founded in 1927 by Forrest "Phog" Allen, the legendary basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Allen, a student of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, organized coaches into this collective group to serve as Guardians of the Game. The NABC currently has nearly 5,000 members consisting primarily of university and college men's basketball coaches. All members of the NABC are expected to uphold the core values of being a Guardian of the Game by bringing attention to the positive aspects of the sport of basketball and the role coaches play in the academic and athletic lives of today's student-athletes. The four core values of being a Guardian of the Game are advocacy, leadership, service and education. Additional information about the NABC, its programs and membership, can be found at www.nabc.org.

ABOUT NCAA
The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 450,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions—AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola—and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners—Allstate, Amazon, Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Enterprise, Infiniti, LG, Lowe's, Nabisco, Northwestern Mutual, Reese's (Hershey's), Unilever and UPS.

NCAA is a trademark of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Marquita Kordes, Werner Co., 724-588-2000 Ext 2704; [email protected]
Angie Maddox, Seed Factory Marketing, 404-996-4041; [email protected]

SOURCE WernerCo