Is Consol County in Greene’s future?
You might soon have to say goodbye to Greene County.
County officials are close to finalizing a deal with Consol Energy to rename the county after the energy giant, according to sources close to the negotiations. Much like with stadiums and high rises, the two sides are negotiating a sale of naming rights – for the entire county. If completed, the deal will see Greene County become “Consol County.”
Spurred by the county’s decision in early February to change the county to “Black and Gold County” during Super Bowl week, Consol approached the county about another, more permanent name change in mid-March. The move would be expected to generate significant buzz for the company and help fill the coffers of the county during tough economic times.
With its history of coal mining and significant gas activity, Greene does seem an ideal fit for the energy giant. But how will residents respond to living in Consol County? It’s unclear at this point, but the county has tried to keep tight wraps on the discussion. Though unable to go on the record about a deal in the works, sources at Consol and county government have confirmed to me exclusively that talks are taking place.
Though details are still murky, the county does stand to make a significant financial gain for the switch, sources say. The deal will see the county trade Greene for green: somewhere in the range of $650,000 to $900,000 a year for 10 years.
The additional funds will represent a significant boost to the budget, which for Greene County’s general fund in 2011 was $15 million. The county raised property taxes for the first time in six years in 2010, but lowered them by 0.105 this year. It is unclear at this point what the Consol funds will be used for.
Naming rights for arenas and sports stadiums are often sold for much more, but carry more visibility. The naming rights for Heinz Field cost H. J. Heinz Co. $2.85 million a year for 20 years and the Pirates receive $1.8 million a year for PNC Park’s naming rights.
This would not be Consol’s only naming deal, it pays an estimated $4 million a year for the rights to the Penguins arena, the Consol Energy Center.
For Consol, the change comes with little risk, sources with the company say.
“They [Consol] saw that the black and gold stuff got pretty good coverage, and they’ve had good results from Consol [the new Penguins arena] and figured, why not go all out?” said one county official who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak about the impending deal.
Of course, while the deal is sure to be controversial for some inside and outside the county, it is not unprecedented.
Several towns have temporarily been renamed, including Washington, Pa., which changed its name to Steelers, Pa., during the Super Bowl clash against the Seattle Seahawks. Other changes have been permanent, like Dish City, Texas, which traded free satellite service from Dish Network for ten years for the naming rights to the 55-household community.
The first recorded example of towns being renamed for corporate parties was Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, which used to be Hot Springs, New Mexico, until the city jumped at the chance in 1950 for the radio show of the same name to be broadcast from the town.
It is believed that if the county does sell its naming rights, that it would be the first county in the country to do so.
One county source said the expectation is that the switch to Consol County would be welcomed, since people seemed alright enough with the Super Bowl switch.
“Let’s be honest, they [Consol] already pretty much do whatever they want in the county anyway,” the source said. “Maybe now they’ll fix Duke Lake.”
If the deal is completed, Greene County would also be compensated at a much higher rate than most towns that have changed their names, including Half.com, Oregon, which received a one-time $100,000 from the website to change its name from Halfway, Oregon.
Corporations buying naming rights for stadiums has become the norm, so savvy marketers have sought out more outside-the-box ways to generate headlines. A 2005 article in the USA Today summed up the trend: “Across the nation, small communities are being courted by large corporations who say renaming a town provides a marketing buzz that can’t be bought in television ads.”
Consol appears poised to not only join the list, but trump it by becoming the first to rename an entire county. And if you believe any of that, you need to check the date: Happy April Fools Day!
If you didn’t appreciate this silliness and you’d like propose he change his name to something not fit for print in a family newspaper, Brandon Szuminsky can be reached at bszuminsky@heraldstandard.com.