The View from Long Beach

The 2024 Irrigation Show and Education Week brought together professionals from across the industry for innovative solutions, helpful networking and hands-on time with new technologies. Attendees celebrated the drive and dedication that make irrigation such an effective and important industry. The week was full of great moments, practical insights and rewarding connections. Here are a few of the top headlines from the event.

Meet the New Board of Directors

Four industry professionals officially joined the Irrigation Association’s Board of Directors at the conclusion of this year’s Irrigation Show and Education Week. Each of them brings their own experience and expertise to the board and shares a commitment to working together with other professionals. They’ve joined the 15-member board supporting and driving the IA’s strategic direction, policies and programs.

Alan Ence

Alan Ence, QWEL, is general manager of landscape and agriculture at Hydro-Rain. During his 30-year career, he has worked in multiple areas including product development, business development and management. He is named on multiple U.S. patents for products in the field of irrigation. Ence is a 1995 graduate of Weber State University in Odgen, Utah, and earned certification as a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper in California in 2022. He has served one partial term on the IA Board of Directors.

Brad Jakubowski

Brad Jakubowski, CIT, has over 35 years of industry experience working with landscape, grounds, sports field and golf irrigation systems, installation and service. He is also familiar with pivot and furrow irrigation systems and supported avionics electronics maintenance in the Air Force. With over 23 years of teaching experience, he currently teaches plant and turfgrass irrigation courses at Penn State University and has developed an online irrigation course for PSU World Campus. He was awarded the IA Excellence in Education Award in 2022.

Gretchen Kah

Gretchen Kah is director, executive vice president of K-Rain Manufacturing Corp. She has been involved in sales and marketing at K-Rain since officially coming on board in 1995. She currently leads the West Coast K-Rain division.

Frank Toves

Frank Toves, CAIS, CIC, CID, is president of AvidWater LLC. His career started in the office of a small ag irrigation dealer, moved to the warehouse, and then to working with construction crews as an installer. He became an automation technician and started working in outside sales, helping start several new locations. Before taking on his current position, he worked as a regional sales manager and director of sales and marketing. He currently serves on the IA Technical Working Group and Advocacy-Agriculture Advisory Group.

Irrigation Association Announces 2024 Contest Winners

The IA celebrated the innovative products and technologies that are shaping the future of water management in announcing the winners of the 2024 New Product Contest and Pitch Competition. These annual competitions showcase the newest premier products and innovators in the irrigation industry, underscoring the commitment of industry leaders and entrepreneurs to sustainable water use and improved irrigation efficiency.

The New Product Contest agriculture irrigation winner is the Twig-V Plus by Nelson Irrigation. The Twig-V Plus Wireless Solenoid integrates a 12 VDC latching solenoid with Twig-V Wireless 900 MHz radio network compatibility, providing a solar-powered, truly wireless solution with no need for wire connections between the solenoid and RTU.

The winners of the New Product Contest landscape irrigation category are the Moasure 2 PRO by Moasure and the MP Rotator MP-820 by Hunter Industries Inc. The landscape lighting winner is the Runa RP-32 – Directional Path Light by FX Luminaire.

Spotlight on Startups

The IA showcased products by today’s groundbreaking irrigation technology startup companies in the Innovation Row section of the 2024 Irrigation Show exhibit hall. These companies are developing innovative products and solutions that are set to revolutionize the irrigation industry and lead to wise water use and improved irrigation efficiency.

Innovation Row startup companies competed in the Pitch Competition, and the 2024 winner of the Agriculture Irrigation Pitch Competition is Krah USA LLC. Krah USA manufactures large diameter HDPE pipe with profile wall and solid wall options for pressure and gravity flow applications with up to a 196-inch inside diameter.

The winner of the Landscape Irrigation Pitch Competition is Wirevirus. These winning startups represent what’s best about the future of irrigation and water management. Their visionary concepts are at the forefront of revolutionizing the integration of smart technology and the wise use of water.

Official judging for the New Product Contest and Pitch Competition was conducted during the 2024 Irrigation Show and Education Week. The winners were announced Nov. 7 during the IA General Session.

Visit irrigationshow.org for more details about these contests and all the products and companies entered.