Rain Bird

Rain Bird Corporation is a large international privately held manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services that helps create and maintain verdant landscapes, golf courses, sports fields, and productive agricultural crops while minimizing water consumption. Rain Bird is headquartered in Azusa, California, with offices and manufacturing facilities in Tucson, Arizona, Mexico, France, and China. Rain Bird Corporation is known for selling its irrigation products and services in over 130 countries worldwide.

History

Rain Bird had its origins in early 1933 when Glendora, California citrus grower Orton Englehardt developed the first prototype of the horizontal action impact sprinkler. The new design offered slow rotation and more efficient watering than other sprinklers of that era, features that were long sought after by local irrigators. Orton's friend and neighbor Clement LaFetra began helping him make and market the sprinklers, and they urged him to patent the invention. The patent (U.S. Patent No. 1,997,901) was awarded on April 16, 1935. Englehardt preferred farming, so in 1935 he sold the business to Clement and Mary Elizabeth LaFetra, whose descendants still operate the company today.

The name Rain Bird was taken from the Native American legend of a bird that brought rain, in reference to the "bird-like" appearance of the impact sprinkler in action. Since its beginnings, Rain Bird has offered irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, commercial developments, and residential landscapes worldwide. Rain Bird has obtained over 450 patents since its founding. The firm also offers education and training programs.

Corporate philosophy

The company's guiding philosophy called "The Intelligent Use of Water" is focused on wise use of water in arid locales. The company is committed to developing products and systems that use water efficiently, including drip irrigation, high efficiency sprinkler nozzles, advanced computer-based central control and weather-based self-adjusting controllers.^[2] With prolonged drought affecting many parts of the world, Rain Bird is actively involved in promoting and supporting efforts to educate consumers and industry on water-conservation practices. The company has held 13 global summit meetings to facilitate discussion of water issues, in addition to publishing four educational white papers on the subject and providing water-conservation tips on its website.

Recognition

The Rain Bird horizontal action impact-drive sprinkler head was recognized as a historic landmark of agricultural engineering in 1990 by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.^[3] This invention led to sprinkler irrigation development that currently exceeds 50 million acres worldwide. Other products that have received this award include Eli Whitney's cotton gin.

In 2015, Rain Bird Corporation was recognized by National Business Research Institute (NBRI) with its prestigious Circle of Excellence award, based upon its outstanding employee engagement. The firm has solicited employee feedback through its annual employee survey for over 20 years. Survey participation is high and employees report excellent job satisfaction.

Partnerships

In 2010, Rain Bird, in partnership with the non-profit American Public Gardens Association, established National Public Gardens Day, a national day of celebration to raise awareness of America’s public gardens and their important role in promoting environmental stewardship and awareness, plant and water conservation, and education in communities nationwide.^[4]

References

External links

• Rain Bird Corporation
• Howser, Huell (November 8, 2010). "Rainbird – California's Gold (12002)". California's Gold. Chapman University Huell Howser Archive.