Repost from The Livingston Post
Biggby secures arena naming rights from Black Bear Sports Group
Black Bear Sports Group – the largest owner-operator of ice rinks in the U.S. – has taken over operations of the Kensington Valley Ice House in Brighton as of Feb. 1, 2024, and it has sold naming rights of the arena to Biggby Coffee.
The arena at 10450 Citation Drive will now be known as Biggby Coffee Ice Cube – Brighton, joining similarly named facilities in Ann Arbor and East Lansing. All existing programming at the arena will continue as planned and Black Bear is retaining the employees at the rink.
The agreement between Black Bear and Biggby also provides for and structures the long-term sponsorship of the Biggby Coffee Hockey Club, which supports boys and girls at the Tier 1, 2 and 3 levels, along with Learn-to-Play and adult hockey headquartered in Ann Arbor.
“Detroit-East Lansing is a powerhouse hockey and figure skating market and we are proud to now operate four facilities and ten sheets of ice in the region,” said Murry Gunty, founder and CEO of Black Bear, in a release. “Hockey is a way of life in Brighton and the surrounding communities, and we look forward to providing customers with a first-class facility for many years to come.”
Gunty said Biggby’s culture and passion for hockey and figure skating in the communities it serves makes it a good fit. “We are thrilled to be aligned with Biggby Coffee,” he said.
Biggby shares the excitement of naming three arenas in the area and working with Black Bear Sports.
“They are professionals bringing loads of experience to our program and to youth hockey in Michigan,” said Mike McFall, co-founder and co-CEO of Biggby Coffee. “It is easy to work together as we are aligned in our purpose: to get more kids playing hockey and to positively impact the community through youth sports.”
There are 236 Biggby locations in Michigan, seven of which are in Livingston County:
• 8714 W Grand River Ave. Brighton
• 8942 Huron Oaks Ct, Brighton
• 11325 Highland Rd, Hartland
• 1275 Lawson Dr, Howell,
• 1485 N Michigan Ave #400, Howell
• 8097 Country Corner Dr, Fowlerville
• 9568 Chilson Rd, Pinckney