Royals Named 2009 Business of the Year, Alan Stein Named Business Leader of the Year

OMAHA, NE - The Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce has named the Omaha Royals as its 2009 Business of the Year. Royals President Alan Stein was also honored as the county's Business Leader of the Year Thursday night at the 2009 Annual Awards Kick-Off held at the La Vista Conference Center.

Norm Nelson, Chair on the Chamber of Commerce's 2008-2009 Board of Directors, presented the awards. He first announced Stein as an award winner, saying: "Alan has shown an incredible commitment to the economic development potential of Sarpy County. His leadership in the effort to retain the Omaha Royals in the metro area and his decision to look to Sarpy County will pay dividends for years to come. Sarpy County will benefit from the new stadium, with new jobs and additional economic development that will add value to the entire metro area."

Of the nine awards presented Thursday night, the Business of the Year honor capped the event. After announcing the Omaha Royals as the recipient of the honor, Nelson noted: "the Omaha Royals have increased their involvement in Sarpy County by selecting Papillion as the site of the new stadium, in the heart of the county. The Omaha Royals partner with numerous organizations and provide family fun events for residents of the metro area as well as being a regional destination for baseball. The new stadium will offer even more entertainment and will be the seed for new business development in Sarpy County."

"I'm humbled to accept this award on behalf of our ownership group, front office staff and entire Omaha Royals family," said Alan Stein, Royals President.

"The Omaha Royals are grateful to receive this award and are looking forward to being an even larger part of the Sarpy County business community for many years to come," said Martie Cordaro, Royals Vice President/General Manager.

ABOUT THE ROYALS: The Royals drew 371,046 fans to Rosenblatt Stadium in 2009, exceeding 300,000 fans for the 22nd consecutive season. The team's attendance was up more than six percent compared to 2008, when a total of 349,376 fans watched Royals games. The Royals' average attendance in 2009 was 5,457 fans, which ranked 10th in the 16-team Pacific Coast League and was up from the 2008 season's average of 5,375. The 2009 campaign marked the Royals' largest total and average attendance figures in the past nine years.

For more information, contact Kevin McNabb, Director of Media Relations, at (402) 738-5103.