Skellefteå AIK gets the gold

Around 18 kg of pure gold. This is the value of Elite League promotees Skellefteå AIK Hockey's new golden sponsorship contract with Boliden. The news was recently announced that the mining and smelting company is going to up its financial backing of the ice hockey team for the 2006/2007 season. "Skellefteå AIK Hockey are worthy bearers of our brand name," declares Jan Johansson, Boliden's President and CEO.

Skellefteå AIK is one of Swedish ice hockey's classic teams. Boliden is one of Swedish trade and industry's classic companies. Other common denominators include having roots in north-east Sweden and an amazing capacity to bounce back. Their history together stretches back for decades.

"Skellefteå AIK is strongly linked to an area in which we have an important part of our operations. The club also symbolises Boliden's most important core values, namely enthusiasm, responsibility and commitment," says Jan Johansson.

Although Boliden has long since been one of Skellefteå AIK's closest collaboration partners, the company has now chosen to increase its involvement in the club - and thereby in the region, where the ice hockey team constitutes an important symbol.

"We regard our involvement as one way of strengthening our ties to both our employees and their families as well as to our customers and suppliers," Jan Johansson explains.

For Skellefteå AIK, the investment means greater financial security at a time when the team is ready to take up its place in the tough Elite League.

"Now we have the funds that will help us secure a competitive A-team and maintain a high standard within our ladies, juniors and youth organisations. The fact that Boliden, a strong local company, has chosen to come in as the main sponsor of the club has given us the guts and go to set up new goals," says Pea Israelsson, President of Skellefteå AIK Hockey.

Boliden's sponsorship agency is Håkanson United AB.

Footnote: In 1924, a remarkable gold discovery was made north-west of Skellefteå. This discovery developed into the Boliden Mine, which still, in addition to gold, produces significant quantities of zinc, copper, lead and silver. The mine also formed the basis for Boliden AB, which today is one of Europe's leading mining and smelting companies.