Take 5 with Lewy's Legion - East Coast Sign & Design

January 26, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Lewiston MAINEiacs News Release


Corporate partnerships are something that every QMJHL franchise relies on to succeed. There are many types of corporate partnerships that are available with varying prices to balance a business' support for the MAINEiacs and financial means of the individual business as well. With pricing flexibility, all types of businesses large and small have the opportunity to get out an support our community's team - The Lewiston MAINEiacs.

From day one when renovations were being done on the arena and the MAINEiacs were running temporarily out of a construction type trailer in the dirt/mud parking lot of the then Central Maine Civic Center there have been many sponsors who have remained onboard and supported the MAINEiacs through thick and thin.

East Coast Sign & Design, owned by Tim and Chris Lafrance is one of those sponsors since day 1. As a matter of fact, Tim remembers, very well, Tim & Cindy Lafrance knocking on the door to that trailer in a muddy parking lot and asking Rob Mainville and Matt McKnight what he can do to support this team. And so became the begining of a long term relationship and corporate sponsorship between the MAINEiacs and the Lafrance's. When Tim heard that QMJHL hockey was coming to Lewiston he was excited. He knew the level of hockey for that age group would exceed the expectations of everyone locally and he was excited about that. He also knew what a team of this caliber would bring to our community in terms of revenue. He knew small businesses like his would benefit, restaurants, hotels, and local retailers would also see an increase in revenue from players, player's families, billets, and visiting teams needing places to eat, sleep, and shop.

No one can walk into the "ABC" and not see the results of Tim's long hours and hard work as a businessman and sponsor. Tim has been in business for 16 years. His livelihood surrounds the arena with the sponsor signs he's designed and hung throughout the arena, on the rink boards surrounding the ice surface, and on the ice surface itself. In preparation for the season to begin it takes Tim a good 2 1/2 - 3 weeks in the month of August to make all the sponsor signage for the rink boards and a full 2 days to get all the sponsor signage up on the rink boards before the home opener. The job is meticulous, detailed, and takes countless hours but it is well worth it when you walk into the rink every game and see local businesses supporting a local product. To ensure that sponsor signage always looks great, Tim replaces rink board signage as needed throughout the season. Tim's work can be seen throughout L-A at a number of business including CMMC, Lighting Concepts, Caron's Auto Body, St. Laurent & Sons, Berubes Auto, Maine Awards/RogueWear, Sun Journal, Lee Auto Mall, and Rowe- just to name a few. In addition to what you see in the arena, East Coast Sign and Design, also does custom airbrushing, billboards, stickers and decals, vehicle/motocycle graphics, and so much more.

Tim and Chris encourage other local businesses to partner with the MAINEiacs for several reasons. The most obvious beings that the arena provides easy and convenient visiblity in getting your business name out there and generate revenue for your business. And more importantly, it shows the partnership and support of one business for another within our community and in these economic times supporting your local businesses is vital to their success.

Tim's support for the MAINEiacs comes at no surprise at all!

The MAINEiacs Locker Room By East Coast Sign & Design

When I look around the office at the shop it is clear that Tim has hockey in his blood. There are pictures of former QMJHL, now NHL players, tons of MAINEiacs pics, and pics of Tim's dad. Speaking of Tim's dad, Richard Lafrance, was inducted into the L-A Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a star hockey player at St. Dom's and also played locally for Bates Manufacturing. He was drafted by the New York Rangers and was chosen as an alternate for the US Men's Ice Hockey Olympic team in 1960. The latter was an opportunity he passed up as Tim's mom was pregnant for Tim at the time of the Olympics. Tim also played high school hockey locally and later played for the LA Lights and LA Rapids. He still enjoys playing in a local men's league.

Tim has lots of favorite MAINEiacs players over the years. Alex Bourret is his favorite past MAINEiacs player. He loved Alex' grittiness, great hands, and his knack for being able to find the back of the net. On the current MAINEiacs roster, Sam Finn! He says, "Sam plays hard every night. He never takes a night off. He's gritty! And he is a great leader on and off the ice." Of course there have been lots of great hockey players to come through the ABC since the MAINEiacs have been in town, Jo Bernier, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jaroslav Halak, Brad Marchand, David Perron, Alex Picard, and Sidney Crosby to name a few. Of them all, Sidney Crosby and Jaroslav Halak are Tim's favorites, both of which he sports autographed pictures of on his office wall.

When Tim was asked what his hopes for the 2010-2011 MAINEiacs team were, he didn't hesitate. He said, "Keep putting a quality product on the ice every game, go deep into the playoffs, and make a solid run for the President's Cup."

East Coast Sign and Design is located at 1052 Sabattus St, Lewiston, ME 04240, (207) 783-9021. Check them out online at www.eastcoastsigndesign.com. If you or your business would like to become partners with the Lewiston MAINEiacs, contact Rob Mainville at 207-333-3267 ext 216 or rmainville@lewistonhockey.com.

A huge and most sincere 'thank you' to The Lafrance Family for their many years of corporate partnership and loyalty to the Lewiston MAINEiacs!

-Michelle Manson



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 26, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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