Effort to create jobs and opportunities for Appalachian communities
Press release from Coalfield Development Corporation:
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — What you buy at the ballpark can have a big impact on communities in Appalachia?
SustainU Clothing, an enterprise of Coalfield Development Corporation, has announced that five major league baseball stadiums will feature its @Shirt interactive kiosks.
The @Shirt Kiosk by SustainU offers fans a chance to purchase game specific match-up graphics with customizable features for all 81 home games of the regular season. Each graphic is only available in-venue and allows fans to uniquely commemorate their day to the ballpark with limited edition apparel. All products are made in the USA from eco-friendly materials and are embellished and distributed from Coalfield Development’s newly-renovated WestEdge Factory in Huntington. The kiosk technology will be featured in some of the most iconic baseball stadiums in the country including the Cub’s Wrigley Field, Dodgers Stadium, ArizonaDiamondback’s Chase Field, Kansas City Royals’ Kauffman Stadium, and the Atlanta Braves SunTrust Park.
Each order placed through the @Shirt Kiosk by SustainU helps to provide education and employment in Appalachia through Coalfield Development’s 33-6-3 workforce development model.
“The people printing and shipping these shirts work 33 hours per week, are enrolled in community college six hours per week and are engaged in personal development three hours per week.” said Brandon Dennison, the founder and CEO of Coalfield Development.
“Our social enterprises like SustainU provide employment opportunities and holistic workforce development for people who need to re-connect to the economy for a variety of reasons,” Dennison said.
Additional stadiums and venues will be added to the @Shirt by SustainU roster for MLB and other major sport leagues.
For more information on CoalfieldDevelopment’s approach to building a new Appalachian economy visit coalfield-development.org.
