Berlin Brothersvalley renames athletics complex for Center Rock

Berlin Brothersvalley School District has given Center Rock Inc. naming rights to its athletic complex in Berlin, Pa., recognizing the company’s long local ties and workforce presence. The new name will stay in place for at least 10 years and was unveiled at the district’s first home football game of the season.

Why it matters: - Berlin Brothersvalley School District has tied one of its most visible athletic landmarks to a longtime local employer. - The naming reflects Center Rock’s role as a Berlin-area business that has hired heavily from the surrounding community for nearly 30 years. - The agreement gives the district a new facility name while honoring a company with deep roots in the same place where student-athletes compete.

What happened: - Berlin Brothersvalley School District renamed its athletic complex the Center Rock Inc. Sports Complex. - The complex has hosted Mountaineer sports since 1924. - The new name replaced the Snyder of Berlin Athletic Complex name, which had been in place since 2004. - The Snyder of Berlin manufacturing plant closed earlier this year, prompting the change. - The district unveiled the new name during Berlin’s first home game of the season on Aug. 28 against Juniata Valley.

The details: - Center Rock is headquartered less than a mile from the complex at 118 Schrock Drive in Berlin. - The company has drawn much of its workforce from Berlin and nearby Somerset County and Cambria County for nearly three decades. - The naming rights will remain in place for at least 10 years. - Center Rock President and CEO David Pietrzykowski said the naming recognizes employees who graduated from Berlin High School and supports the company’s connection to community events and school sports. - Berlin Brothersvalley Athletic Director Doug Paul said the company’s work ethic and family-oriented culture align with the values the district teaches student-athletes. - Center Rock was founded in 1998 in Berlin by Brandon Fisher. - Center Rock designs and manufactures pneumatic rock drilling tools, including DTH hammers and bits, LP Drills and the ROTO LOC underreamer system. - Center Rock also distributes Hütte drills and Reichdrill blasthole rigs and provides custom fabrication and repair services. - The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified. - Center Rock serves the oil and gas, construction, water well and geothermal, mining and quarry, utility, and horizontal directional drilling industries worldwide. - Center Rock tools and personnel played a central role in the 2010 rescue of 33 trapped miners at the San Jose Mine in Copiapo, Chile, boring the rescue shaft ahead of schedule.

Between the lines: - The school district is turning a facility naming decision into a local economic and cultural signal. - The move links a public-school venue to a company that has long employed residents and shown up in district life. - The naming also helps replace a former brand identity that disappeared when the Snyder of Berlin plant closed.

What's next: - The Center Rock Inc. Sports Complex name will stay on the facility through the next decade unless the district changes the agreement. - The company’s public visibility in Berlin is likely to continue through school events and athletics tied to the complex. - Center Rock’s social media presence includes LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

The bottom line: - Berlin Brothersvalley is using athletics naming rights to spotlight a hometown manufacturer that has long powered both the local economy and the local school community.