Werner Ladder Co., the Official Ladder of the NCAA® Basketball Championships, Teams Up With the NCAA®, Turner Sports and CBS Sports

GREENVILLE, Pa., March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Werner Ladder announced today that it is continuing its partnerships with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and CBS Sports, as well as new partner Turner Sports, to be the "Official Ladder of the NCAA® Basketball Championships." Werner is also the official ladder, and corporate partner, of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

The special ladders are made exclusively for the NCAA® and are used by the winning teams during the post game net-cutting ceremonies. A uniquely sized 9 ft. fiberglass stepladder, it provides easy access to the net for the winning players and coaches. The HolsterTop™ features a built-in magnetic strip to safely secure the scissors used to cut down the nets in all NCAA opening round games, the NCAA® Men's Final Four® in Houston and the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Indianapolis, as well as the Division II & III Championship games.

This year, the games will be aired on CBS Sports and Time Warner-owned Turner Sports (via TBS, TNT and TruTV), making it the first time in history that every game will be telecast nationally.

"We look forward to seeing the men and women climb the Werner ladders during the Final Four events in Houston and Indianapolis. The net-cutting ceremony has become an exciting and rewarding tradition for the winning teams, and Werner Ladder is proud to be an integral part of their climb to the top," said Chris Filardi, Vice President, Senior Vice President of Marketing.

In support of the partnership, Werner Ladder donates $1,000 to the general scholarship fund of every school in this year's Men's and Women's Final Four – to support all students who set their sights on winning both in the classroom and in competition. "Werner is honored to have this opportunity to support these student-athletes, and be a part of the great NCAA tradition," concludes Filardi.

Werner is also running the Rise Above The Rest Sweepstakes in which one lucky winner will walk away with an official Werner NCAA® Basketball Championship replica ladder. Entries are being accepted at: http://riseabove.wernerladder.com.

A full selection of Werner ladders for both consumers and professionals are available at Lowe's, an Official Corporate Partner of the NCAA®, and at www.Lowes.com, as well as most professional, hardware and paint retailers nationwide.

[NCAA, Final Four, and Women's Final Four are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.]