HAECO EXTENDS AGREEMENT THROUGH 2026; TOURNAMENT RENAMED HAECOISHIRING.COM INVITATIONAL
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The high school basketball tournament founded as the Little 4 Invitational in 1976 is now the HAECOisHiring.com Invitational, and the tournament’s title partner, HAECO Americas, Inc., signed a contract extension making HAECO the title partner of the prestigious holiday tournament through 2026. The 45th HAECOisHiring.com Invitational is set for Dec. 27-29, 2021 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Special Event Center.
The tournament’s new name reflects the reason HAECO partnered with the Greensboro Sports Council to sponsor this high school basketball tournament in 2012: the company strives to hire qualified employees – the HAECOisHiring.com Invitational adds a “call to action” to the event name. The international aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company plans to enhance its on-site presence during the tournament to tell its story to more people attending the tournament and encourage high school students and their families to consider aviation as a potential career that could also provide the education needed to join the field.
“Aircraft maintenance is a rewarding career, and demand for qualified technicians is expected to increase over the next two decades,” President of HAECO Bill Collins said. “Through our partnership with GTCC’s Aviation program, HAECO offers internships and apprenticeships to encourage high school students to pursue this career.”
HAECO plays a significant role in the Greensboro Sports Council’s ongoing efforts to enhance the tournament for all constituents. The company’s Human Resources department is on site during the tournament to speak to attendees about aviation careers, and following the tournament, HAECO invites multiple participating teams, including the two championship teams, to its facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport for a celebration and tour.
“HAECO continuing its relationship with the Greensboro Sports Council is tremendous news for our high school basketball tournament and our participating schools,” Greensboro Sports Council president Brett Weathersbee said. “The key to success in any relationship is both parties accomplishing their business objectives. For HAECO, that means enhancing its workforce with new talent, and for the Greensboro Sports Council, it means successfully raising money for our participating schools. We hope this relationship will remain mutually beneficial for many years to come. We thank Bill Collins, John Huff, David Kelly and their teams for their ongoing support.”
HAECO joined the tournament as its title partner in 2012 signing a one-year agreement just six weeks before the tournament. The company then signed a three-year extension followed by a five-year extension in 2016 which carried the partnership through the 2020 tournament. When that event was canceled due to COVID-19, the final year of the agreement moved to 2021. The new agreement begins with the 2022 event, but the new name is effective immediately; terms will not be disclosed.
The schools participating in the 2021 HAECOisHiring.com Invitational will be Dudley High School, Greensboro Day School, Grimsley High School, Northwest Guilford High School, Page High School, Ragsdale High School, Smith High School and Southeast Guilford High School; Southeast replaced Northern Guilford when they withdrew from the tournament prior to the cancelation of the 2020 tournament.
The HAECO Invitational is an annual high school basketball tournament in Greensboro, N.C. Founded in 1976 as the Little 4 Invitational, the tournament features men’s and women’s teams representing eight Guilford County high schools playing at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Tournament proceeds are donated to local charities and the participating schools; the HAECOisHiring.com Invitational is planned and implemented by the Greensboro Sports Council. For more information, please visit www.HAECOInvitational.com and follow the event on Twitter: @HAECOinvit and www.facebook.com/HAECOInvitational.
Courtesy of Rob Goodman
Executive Director, Greensboro Sports Foundation
Media Director, Wyndham Championship