Werner Celebrates 16th Year of Champions Climbing the Official Ladder for NCAA® March Madness®

Werner Welcomes the 2024 Season of NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championship Games; Werner Commemorative Ladder Exclusively Used During NCAA Net-Cutting Ceremony

Itasca, IL, [April 5, 2024] - Werner, the world leader in ladders and manufacturer of climbing products and fall protection equipment, is honored to again be part of the incredible and emotional net cutting celebrations that happen each year in both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Regional and National Championships. As part of the yearly celebration, Werner creates exclusive Podium Ladders to safely climb during the net-cutting ceremony. The Werner Ladders are designed uniquely for March Madness and have wider rungs, a larger platform and higher guardrails to specifically address this unique situation including weights, heights and shoe sizes of basketball players and coaches. To watch the talented athletes and coaches celebrate their hard-earned place in history provides great pride for Werner.

“Every year we look forward to March and being a proud sponsor of the NCAA Basketball Championship Games,” said Stacy Gardella, Head of Global Marketing Technology & Operations at WernerCo. “Our work starts months before as we design the custom ladders right here in Itasca, Illinois. When the ladders leave our factory and March Madness begins, the energy and excitement heightens for our employees working on the factory lines to the front offices and everywhere in between,” continued Gardella.

Uniquely Designed Podium Ladder for Championship Games
While many fans may picture just one ladder used at the Championship game, Werner creates a customized Podium Ladder for these winning moments. The ladder is specially designed based on the average shoe size, wingspan, weight and height of the college basketball players. Werner delivers 85 custom ladders to select conference championship along with the Division 1, Division II and Division III Men’s and Women’s Regional and National Championship Games. As winning teams climb these commemorative ladders with scissors in hand to cut parts of the net, the Werner brand is proud to be seen in broadcast, online and print media on a national scale. These joyous occasions are celebrated by teams and fans every year, with the tradition dating back to the 1940s.

Werner is amplifying media and fan access by coming directly to the championship host cities with an experiential ladder tour. Fans can see the custom Werner Ladders through in-person events as well as engage through social media. For opportunities to win memorabilia and post photos with the Werner ladder, fans can tag @wernerladderco or use the hashtag #OfficialLadderOf on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Following the ladder tour, the winning school will host the Werner Ladder on campus during the 2024-2025 school year.

Going Further Always Involves Talented Coaches
Werner continues to sponsor the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), and the Naismith Awards Men’s and Women’s College Coach of the Year awards. As the title sponsor of the Naismith Awards since 2017, Werner celebrates these coaches who are such an important part of each team, and each student-athlete’s development. For the 2024 season, there are now four finalists for each award, with ceremonies being held in Cleveland on April 3rd and Phoenix on April 7th.

The NCAA® Division I Women’s Championship will take place in Cleveland, Ohio on April 7th, while the NCAA® Division I Men’s Final Four and National championship game will take place in Phoenix, Arizona on April 8th.

ABOUT WERNER
Werner, a WernerCo Professional Brand, is the official ladder of NCAA® March Madness® and the world leader in ladders with a complete line of climbing products designed for working at heights. The portfolio includes ladders, scaffolding, pump jacks, stages, planks, accessories and fall protection equipment including harnesses, lanyards, anchors and compliance kits. From ladders to fall protection, WERNER provides a full line of climbing equipment that is engineered for maximum safety, durability and productivity at every height. All Werner products meet or exceed applicable international safety standards. For more information, visit www.wernerladder.com.

ABOUT THE NCAA®
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Geico, Great Clips, Intuit Turbotax, Invesco QQQ, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, The Home Depot, Unilever and Wendy’s.

NCAA, March Madness, and Final Four are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include AXIA Time, Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Angie Maddox, Seed Factory, 404-996-4041; angie@seedatl.com