WOODSIDE, N.Y.—Nexen Tire America Inc. and Woodside-based M.I.C. Tires teamed up this summer to bring a slice of Korean life to the Long Island community.
The companies outfitted a local youth baseball team in the colors and insignia of the Nexen Heroes, a Korean professional baseball team.
M.I.C. Tires owner Glenn Berman said that last year he approached Nexen, one of his dealership's tire suppliers, about sponsoring a local baseball team—a boys traveling team playing in a 14-and-up age group.
"We thought it was a great idea to have a local group of New York boys with the same uniforms as the Nexen Heroes," said Chris Tolbert, Nexen Tire America regional sales director.
The team debuted during the summer as the New York Nexen Heroes.
It sported Ne-xen's signature maroon and white colors along with the tire marketer's stylized capital N.
"We are so very proud and grateful to be sponsored by Nexen," said Mr. Ber-man's wife Stacy. "These boys love baseball and we are all following the professional Nexen Heroes team on Face-book."
Nexen Tire said it has sponsored the Nexen Heroes in the Korean Baseball Organization since 2010.