Browns partner with Cleveland-based national mortgage leader to establish CrossCountry Mortgage Campus in Berea (7.22.21)
For Immediate Release
July 22, 2021
Company also to become ‘Official Mortgage Partner of the Cleveland Browns’
BEREA, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns and CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC, one of the nation’s largest and fastest growing retail mortgage lenders, today announced a long-term partnership that includes naming rights for the team’s “CrossCountry Mortgage Campus” training and administrative complex in Berea. The agreement also establishes CrossCountry Mortgage as the “Official Mortgage Partner of the Cleveland Browns.”
CrossCountry Mortgage Campus main entrance rendering, courtesy of the Cleveland Browns
“As family organizations dedicated to Northeast Ohio, the Browns and CrossCountry Mortgage are aligned in our mission, values and goals to serve our fans and customers in the region and beyond as we build this partnership and establish the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus,” said Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins. “We share a commitment to training and developing all of our team members and creating strong internal cultures, which are the foundation for our partnership while investing resources in our campuses and community.
“The story of CrossCountry’s rise in the mortgage industry as a Northeast Ohio-born company to across the nation has been second to none and serves as another great source of pride for our region. We are pleased that they will become the first Berea naming-rights partner in our 75-year history.”
“I am convinced our roots in Cleveland and the unique advantages that come with living and working in Northeast Ohio have helped fuel our growth across the U.S.,” said CrossCountry Mortgage Founder and CEO Ron Leonhardt, Jr. “Because the Browns have always embodied what it means to be a Clevelander, this partnership is a natural next step for our company as we become one of the region’s premier employers. We are proud to add our name to the Browns’ ‘house’ as we head into training camp next week.”
CrossCountry Mortgage will also be the presenting partner of “Browns Live: Training Camp.” This digital streaming program returns in 2021 to ensure Browns fans across the globe have special opportunities to enjoy training camp, including the two joint practices with the New York Giants (Aug. 19-20). The full Browns Live schedule and other exclusive content available through the team’s online platforms will be shared at a later date.
The partnership also will include CrossCountry Mortgage’s involvement in the team’s community and youth football initiatives and help advance the mortgage lender’s long-standing support of military veterans.
In addition to making significant investments to improve the Browns Training and Administrative Complex in recent years which included an extension of their lease with the City of Berea, Haslam Sports Group has acquired a number of properties in the area surrounding the fields and main building, which opened in 1991. Plans are currently being developed to align with the team’s strategic vision and ultimate expansion of its home at the CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. The primary goal is to ensure the Browns continue to provide the organization, players and Browns fans with first-class resources in all aspects of football and business operations, as well as enhanced opportunities to host additional events in the Northeast Ohio community.
Founded in Cleveland in 2003, CrossCountry Mortgage is a top-10 retail mortgage lender that provides industry-leading services in all 50 states through a network of more than 500 offices. The company has been recognized seven times on the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing private businesses and has been honored five times as a Northcoast 99 winner, representing the best workplaces for top talent in Northeast Ohio.
In June, CrossCountry Mortgage started construction of a $46 million corporate campus in Cleveland’s historic Superior Arts District. The 168,000-square-foot campus, located at 2152-2160 Superior Avenue, will bring more than 600 full-time jobs to downtown Cleveland and includes a 4,600-square-foot training center that will help area professionals prepare for successful careers in the mortgage industry.
About CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC:
CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC is a top 10 retail mortgage lender in America, founded in 2003 by CEO Ronald J. Leonhardt, Jr. The company has more than 6,000 employees and licenses in all 50 states. A direct lender and approved seller and servicer by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and Ginnie Mae, CCM offers a broad portfolio of home purchase and refinance programs ranging from conventional and jumbo mortgages to government-insured programs for Veterans and rural homebuyers. Additional options include down payment assistance, home equity products, and expedited closing programs. CrossCountry Mortgage is on the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies and a recipient of several other local and national awards for sales and growth. For more information, please visit crosscountrymortgage.com.
About the Cleveland Browns:
A member of the National Football League’s AFC North division, the Cleveland Browns have long been among the most iconic and historic professional football clubs. Bolstered by eight league titles, 13 division championships and 17 Pro Football Hall of Famers, the Browns were established in 1945 as a charter team of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). The Browns played their inaugural season in 1946 and finished in first place during each of the league’s four years of existence (1946-49). Cleveland was one of three AAFC teams selected to merge with the NFL in 1950 and appeared in the league’s title game in each of its first seven seasons, claiming three of its four NFL championships overall (1950; 1954-55; 1964) during that stretch. The Browns’ 16 Pro Football Hall of Famers, the sixth-most in the NFL, include founder Paul Brown, legends Jim Brown, Otto Graham and Lou Groza, as well as Marion Motley and Bill Willis, two of the first African-Americans who helped break professional sports’ race barrier in 1946. After a relocation to Baltimore in 1995, Cleveland was awarded an expansion franchise that returned to play in 1999, retaining all of the club’s history and its namesake. In 2012, Dee and Jimmy Haslam, CEO of Pilot Flying J, purchased a controlling interest of the Cleveland Browns. Their vision for the Browns is to build a consistently winning football team, to take exceptional care of Browns fans and to be leaders in the Northeast Ohio community through the core areas of education, youth football the team’s signature First and Ten volunteering movement. The Browns, led by Head Coach Kevin Stefanski and Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry, play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium in Downtown Cleveland.
About Haslam Sports Group:
Haslam Sports Group embraces the positive impact of sports and its unique opportunity to unify communities. Through the Haslam and Johnson families’ network of industry experience and relationships, their mission is to create world class organizations that achieve sustainable success, provide a best in class fan experience and give back to their region. They see themselves as stewards of true community assets. HSG looks to invest in strategic sports and entertainment opportunities. Haslam Sports Group’s current portfolio includes the Cleveland Browns, operating rights to Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew and an investment in Misfits Gaming Group, a global esports and entertainment company.
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