Lubbock County Expo Center names beer partner, continues fundraising

Alex Driggars, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
Updated ·2 min read
The Lubbock County Expo Center is partnering with Great Plains Distributors as a founding partner and the official beer provider, naming Coors Light as the official domestic beer and Dos Equis as the official import beer for the center.
The Lubbock County Expo Center is partnering with Great Plains Distributors as a founding partner and the official beer provider, naming Coors Light as the official domestic beer and Dos Equis as the official import beer for the center.

Coors Light and Dos Equis are the official malt beverages of the forthcoming Lubbock County Expo Center, members of the steering committee announced at a news conference Tuesday.

The Expo Center is partnering with Great Plains Distributors as a founding partner and the official beer provider, naming Coors Light as the official domestic beer and Dos Equis as the official import beer for the center.

With the sponsorship, the local, family-owned beer distributor has made a multi-year financial commitment to the Lubbock County Expo Center, though officials did not disclose the specifics of the deal.

"Today's a great day for the Lubbock County Expo Center," Randy Jordan, chair of the Expo Center steering committee, said at the news conference. "A lot of us have been working tirelessly over the past months to put together and begin our funding on the private side of the Expo Center."

The Lubbock County Expo Center is a public-private partnership, relying on funding from a hotel/motel tax increase passed by Lubbock County voters in 2018 and private fundraising.

"That private funding is the important part that we're working on right now," Jordan said.

"Great Plains Distributors, Gentry family, we can't tell them enough how much we appreciate this, to be a founding sponsor for the Lubbock County Expo Center — the first of what we hope will be many over the next few weeks and the next few months," he added.

Randy Jordan, chair of the Lubbock County Expo Center steering committee, speaks at a news conference at Great Plains Distributors on April 11.
Randy Jordan, chair of the Lubbock County Expo Center steering committee, speaks at a news conference at Great Plains Distributors on April 11.

Kirk Gentry, president of Great Plains Distributors, commended the steering committee for its work and said he's proud his company is involved in a milestone project for the Lubbock County community.

"This is this something that we're very proud to be a part of. It's good for the community; it's good for our young people," Gentry said. "It's a multipurpose building, and it's going to be used for many, many events and multi events at the same time. It's something that nobody else has in the county."

Jordan reminded those in attendance that, although construction has not yet started at the Expo Center's future site on North University Avenue near North Loop 289, that doesn't mean work isn't being done.

"We haven't seen a whole lot of movement vertically up on North University," Jordan said. "But slowly but surely, we're making a lot of progress."

Jordan said the steering committee hopes to break ground by Sept. 1.

In the meantime, the committee will continue to aggressively fundraise. The group is hosting its second Exponanza concert on May 20 featuring '90s country star Clay Walker. Tickets are available by calling 806-770-2000.

"I think many of you will know last year was a wonderful kickoff event," Jordan said. "We had a great time, and this year will be even better at the Civic Center."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock County Expo Center names beer partner, continues fundraising