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he Hawks have announced two new partnership deals ahead of the start of the 2021 NBL season, with Pepper Money signing up as a principal partner and Exclusive Bus Hire as an official partner.

Speaking of the Pepper Money partnership, Hawks co-owner and president, Dorry Kordahi, said Pepper Money is a great principal partner for the Hawks with a strong focus on community engagement and support for investment and local growth.

“This is a major announcement for the Hawks and a huge show of confidence from a well established and industry leading brand,” Kordahi said.

“It is one of the biggest investments in the club’s history and another indication of how the narrative is changing around this franchise.

“Pepper Money is demonstrating great faith in us and the direction we are taking the club.

“We are excited to partner with them and build great synergies between our two organisations,” he said.

Pepper Money’s Australian and New Zealand CEO, Mario Rehayem, said the company hopes the partnership will boost its brand awareness among basketball fans around Australia.

“At Pepper Money, we look to fund our customer’s real-life dreams and goals,” Rehayem said.

“We see similarities with our partnership with the Hawks.

“We wanted to join in as the Hawks rebuild their franchise and reclaim success in the league.

“This partnership ensures our brand is seen by a wider audience of sporting fans in Illawarra and across Australia,” he said.

As part of the deal, Pepper Money will help establish a Hawks local business community program and receive front-of-jersey sponsorship placement for the 2020/21 NBL season.

Alongside the Pepper Money announcement, the Hawks also announced a new partnership for the 2020/21 NBL season with Exclusive Bus Hire, who is set to deliver a Hawks-branded 35-seat coach bus for all the team’s road transport needs.

Speaking on the Exclusive Bus Hire deal, Kordahi said: “This is a great announcement for the Hawks and another huge endorsement for what we are trying to achieve as a club.”

“We welcome a proud brand like Exclusive Bus Hire into our corporate family with open arms.

“This is another step in the right direction for the Hawks as we show the community we are serious about providing a professional environment for this team.

“We hope this bus will become an iconic fixture in the region as it drives our players to and from home games once we return to the Illawarra,” Kordahi said.

Exclusive Bus Hire general manager, Daniele Siviero, said the company is proud to partner with the Hawks for the upcoming season.

“We look forward to providing the Hawks all their transport needs during the 2020/21 season as they travel through what promises to be a slightly bumpy yet exciting ride,” Siviero said.

“As the only remaining foundation club in the NBL, Exclusive Bus Hire are proud to partner with the Hawks to provide not only the team’s transport needs, but a means of engaging the community with the Hawks’ bus which will be a source of great pride and excitement for members of the community.

“We understand the importance of serving the local communities where we operate and partnering with the Hawks provides us with an excellent opportunity to leverage the on-court excitement whilst using the bus as a means of increasing engagement with the Illawarra community,” Siviero said.