First Major League Soccer season at GEODIS Park keeps Nashville rising

Mike Honious is president and CEO of GEODIS in the Americas.

While the playoffs didn’t end as we had hoped for the Boys in Gold, there is much to be proud of as we look back at the inaugural Nashville SC season at GEODIS Park, including the most recent announcement of midfielder Hany Mukhtar voted as the 2022 Landon Donovan MLS MVP.

The biggest success, though, is the incredible community response as GEODIS Park has quickly become embedded into the city’s fabric.

When GEODIS made the decision to acquire the naming rights to the home of Nashville SC, the message of “Everyone N” — a rallying cry to celebrate and unite the local community — spoke to us. Prior to unveiling the name of the new soccer stadium, most Nashvillians were probably not familiar with GEODIS and our work powering the supply chains of some of the most well-known and beloved brands.

However, our roots in Middle Tennessee date back more than 70 years. This is our home. We understand what makes this community special, we’ve contributed to its growth, and we are friends, colleagues, and neighbors with those who have helped shape it into what it is today.

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GEODIS Park was built for and by Nashvillians

United by a shared vision with Nashville SC to make GEODIS Park a global destination for sports and entertainment, we knew we could use soccer as a way to bring the world to our city and promote our city to the world. For GEODIS, our interest in teaming up with Nashville SC always went beyond soccer to focus on the impact the stadium and franchise would have on the broader community.

The investment in the local community started with the brick, stone and steel that makes up GEODIS Park — which we proudly call the largest soccer-specific stadium in the US and Canada.

In total through the construction of GEODIS Park, $75.8 million was awarded in contracts to various firms with $69 million going to 71 different women-owned and minority-owned firms. Additionally, 76% of the total workers were Tennessee residents.

GEODIS Park was built by and for Nashvillians to be a true reflection of our local community. Not only that, but GEODIS Park was also meant to represent, unite and thank our community within GEODIS — our GEODIANS — as soccer is the sport of the world and reflects our global reach and diverse culture.

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We’ll see you in the stands next year

Since the opening match on May 1, it’s clear GEODIS Park has solidified itself as a place where we can all gather, raise our voices together and celebrate a team that has quickly made its mark on the league—and most importantly—on our Middle Tennessee community.

If you’ve had a chance to experience the magic of “the castle” during the inaugural season at GEODIS Park, you’ve witnessed “Everyone N” come to life. Community members from all backgrounds — different neighborhoods, young and old, new to soccer or lifelong supporters — filled GEODIS Park each match with an energy and excitement that is undeniably palpable and uniquely Nashville.

It’s important to realize, though, that we’ve only just begun. While we want GEODIS Park to reflect our local community, we also want to ensure we give back to it. From a community-building perspective, GEODIS and Nashville SC are partnering together on programs that support youth and families as well as celebrate diversity.

First Major League Soccer season at GEODIS Park keeps Nashville rising

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