SOUTH Australian business leader Gordon Pickard AM is to make a major ongoing personal investment in the Power, through his retirement living company Lifestyle SA.

Mr Pickard says the Port Adelaide Football Club is a South Australian icon and he is keen to invest to drive the club to the next level of success.

“A successful Port Adelaide is a vital ingredient for South Australian football,” Mr Pickard says.

“With the backing of the SANFL, the club has a new management team in place which is stepping up and driving the club forward.

“I am 100 percent confident in the people in place here at the Power, and I’m prepared to invest and back them in. I think others should too.”

Mr Pickard’s ongoing investment will be specifically targeted at employing additional staff at the club, with the key goals of increasing the club’s promotion, attendances, membership and community reach.

Port Adelaide will begin advertising the new positions in the near future.

Port Adelaide President Brett Duncanson says Mr Pickard’s support is simply outstanding.

“Gordon Pickard sought us out through the SANFL and asked ‘how can I help’,” Duncanson says.

“We got together and have come up with a plan which will help us employ extra people in specific new roles within the club, in areas where we have been under-resourced and which will help drive our business forward.

“This investment in people will enable us to do things in 2010 and beyond that we simply have not had the staff to implement before.

“It is a major investment from a great South Australian, and we are very excited.”