SOUTHAVEN — Landers Auto Group has signed a $1 million 10-year agreement for naming rights to the DeSoto Civic Center and DeSoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau chairman Charles Tackett said that means changing everything from door mats to plastic cups and all indoor and outdoor signs.

After more than a decade of being known as the DeSoto Civic Center, the $40 million facility will be renamed as Landers Center.

“I’ve been on the board for six or seven years and this is something we’ve worked on ever since I’ve been here,” Tackett said. “Then 2007 happened and the economy went into the tank,” Tackett said referring to the beginning of the national recession.

He said the idea of securing revenue from naming rights was placed on the back burner.

“For several years we have developed a relationship with Landers over the sponsorship of some shows,” Tackett said. “We went from there. Our advertising people kept pursuing it. We now have a five-year agreement with an additional five-year option.”

Tackett said Landers will pay $100,000 for the first five years to secure naming rights. Payment in the sixth year escalates to $115,000 and each succeeding year an additional $1,000 is added.

“Landers is a good group,” Tackett said. “We’re happy to be associated with them.”

The adjoining DeSoto Civic Center Theatre, home of DeSoto Family Theatre, will now become the Landers Center Theatre.

“We’ve always admired the role the DeSoto Civic Center plays in the community and with DeSoto County continuing to grow, we wanted to make a long-term commitment,” Landers Auto Group President Kent Ritchey said Monday.

The naming rights sponsorship represents a significant long-term financial commitment that helps the DeSoto Civic Center continue to bring top-notch events to the people of DeSoto County, according to Ritchey.

“This is very important to us,” Ritchey said. “This is our home. Along with the DeSoto Civic Center, Landers Auto Group also recently celebrated its 10th anniversary,” Ritchey said. “On an even more personal note, 170 of the 260 full-time associates at our dealerships are based in DeSoto County.”

Moving forward, both DeSoto County Convention and Visitors Bureau officials and Landers Center will continue to bring many high-profile national touring acts to the area while still supporting local events, ranging from the Mid-South Fair to weddings and graduations.

“There is not a finer multi-purpose facility anywhere in the market that offers such a unique variety,” Ritchey said.

The name change will officially be commemorated on Jan. 4 in a 10 a.m. ceremony.

Landers Auto Group consists of five dealerships in the greater Memphis area: Landers Nissan, Landers Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Landers Buick GMC, and Landers Auto Sales, located in Southaven; as well as Landers Ford in Collierville, Tennessee.

(Story from December 29, 2011 desototimestribune.com)