Local logistics company Magnus Group will be the new sponsor of Portman Road’s West Stand for at least the next two seasons.
The Magnus Group West Stand will be officially unveiled at tomorrow’s home match against AFC Wimbledon.
The East of England Co-op’s link-up ended in the summer after 11 years, following on from stand sponsorship by the Britannia Building Society and Pioneer.
Magnus Group provides 355,000 square feet of warehousing space, road haulage, local distribution and global freight-forwarding services and has increased its turnover by 170 per cent in the last 18 months, with staff numbers increasing from 103 to 160.
CEO Olly Magnus, a diehard Town fan, says the sponsorship deal reflects that growth for the family business, having always been keen to place the business at the centre of the community.
They already sponsor Town’s U16s, amateur racing driver Mark Steel and other sports, as well as charity groups.
Magnus was a partner in another logistics company when his father, Paul, died in 2018. He then sold up and invested his money into Magnus Group, becoming the majority shareholder in 2019.
"It’s been quite the ride since," he reflected. "I put everything into the company, but thanks to the amazing teams we now have at our Great Blakenham HQ and at our new warehousing and offices in Felixstowe, we have turned the business around and are poised for further significant growth. Like being out on the pitch, it’s all about teamwork and doing things the right way.
"I couldn’t be prouder to see our name up there on the West Stand. It’s not just any stand either, it’s where I stood for my first game, aged six, with my sister Emma and with my late father back in 1979.
"I don’t remember much about the match, but I do remember falling off my stool. All the kids stood on stools or milk crates in those days!
"When the new stand, then called the Pioneer, was built a few years later, my father, grandfather and I had season tickets in the upper tier for six or seven years.
"There is a certain synergy. Magnus Group is a local company, operating nationally, and like Ipswich Town, we want success. But we want to do it the right way.”
Town director of sales, Rosie Richardson, added: "We are extremely delighted to announce that Magnus Group are the new sponsors of the West Stand.
"The agreement spans a minimum of two years. Magnus Group are a locally based company and they have shown their support of the club through various initiatives and this sponsorship agreement now further cements this.
"The West Stand has had significant and memorable sponsors over previous years and I’m sure the association with Magnus Group will be just as iconic."