Fastest Flip Flops on the Planet Have Pole Position for Indianapolis 500

Bellevue, WA, May 24, 2016 --(PR.com)-- TA Group, a Bellevue, WA-based investment firm focusing on Western operating companies in the $2-30 million dollar range, salutes the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 and Military Appreciation Month through its partnership with Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. The Schmidt Peterson Motorsports team added veteran-powered brand, Combat Flip Flips, to the No. 5 Arrow Electronics car, driven by fan favorite, James Hinchcliffe. Hinchcliffe secured the pole position for the historic race in an emotional qualification that underscored his comeback from a life-threatening crash one year ago on the same track.

“We can identify with Hinch’s indomitable spirit and determination to overcome obstacles,” said former Army Ranger and Combat Flip Flops' CEO/Co-founder, Matthew ‘Griff’ Griffin. “Making cool stuff in dangerous places is a lot like driving a race car…you need to go full throttle while anticipating every potential road block, and understanding when to have patience in the short-term to hit your long-range goals."

Combat Flip Flops manufactures fashion and travel accessories including:

· flip flops made in Bogota, Colombia, known for its high-end leathers and shoe construction (among other things);
· sarongs, shemaghs and cashmere scarfs sewn and embroidered at a women-owned factory in Kabul, Afghanistan where the purchase of one puts a woman in secondary school for up to a month; hand-sewn and embroidered belts made by Afghan widows through a program that teaches sewing, fundamental literacy, math, and hygiene;
· jewelry crafted from unexploded ordinance (UXO) dropped on Laos during the Vietnam War where each purchase clears 3 square meters of UXO; and
· messenger bags and neckties sewn in Washington which helps keep Americans and veterans at work.

TA Group Chairman John Sercu commented, “Our sponsorship of the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Indy Car is based on mutual values of speed, innovation, technology, and a strong belief that giving back makes us better. The Indy 500 is a great time for us to say thanks to our country’s veterans and showcase the good we can do together.”

Business, Not Bullets.

About Combat Flip Flops
Combat Flip Flops is a veteran-owned small business creating economic, educational and life-saving opportunities for those living in conflict areas. Working with self-determined entrepreneurs affected by conflict, Combat Flip Flops’ willingness to take bold risks, build community connections, and create distinct designs communicate, ‘Business, Not Bullets’-flipping the view on how wars are won. Through persistence, respect, and creativity, the brand empowers the mindful consumer to manufacture peace through trade. To keep up with Combat Flip Flops, please visit www.combatflipflops.com.

About TA Group Holdings
TA Group is a veteran-owned company that partners with emerging business leaders and provides mentorship, shared operations and scalable process in order to grow them to the next level of success and profitability. TA Group is an investor in Combat Flip Flops. www.tagroupholdings.com

About Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports (SPM) was established in 2001 and is owned by former IndyCar driver Sam Schmidt and Canadian businessman Ric Peterson. SPM fields cars in the Verizon IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Lights Series presented by Cooper Tires. SPM is the most successful team in Indy Lights Series history with sixty-five race wins and seven championships. In addition, SPM won the coveted Indianapolis 500 pole position in 2011 for the 100th Anniversary and 2016 for the 100th Running, and has won five Verizon IndyCar Series races between 2013 and 2015. www.spmindycar.com