One of the biggest problems agricultural producers face is the utter lack of understanding the consuming public has of where its food comes from. While there have been enormous—and successful—efforts made in recent years to educate the public on the agricultural process, there remains a sizeable disconnect between growers and consumers.
Occasionally, it proves difficult even for growers to appreciate all that goes into the products of which they are the end user. It’s easy to point to a logo painted on a tractor or barrel or pivot and name the manufacturer. But what, and who, really went into getting that product to the farm?
The folks at Senninger Irrigation, headquartered in Clermont, Fla., take just as much pride in what they do as any third-generation potato grower. Twenty-five miles north of Walt Disney World, Senninger produces its own brand of magic. “Senninger is more than a logo or brand or product,” says marketing manager Diann Ilkenhons. “It’s people—good people.”
Starting from Scratch
Senninger Irrigation got its start in 1963 when Joe Senninger saw a problem and decided to do something about it. Growers had spent years battling mud dauber wasps, which seem to be fond of building their mud nests in the nozzles of sprinkler heads. This, of course, posed a serious problem when the water was turned on: clogged sprinklers.
Senninger did some tinkering and eventually came up with a design for a sprinkler whose nozzle remained closed until water pressure forced it open, thus preventing mud from entering, drying and clogging the system. He named his new product the Insect-Proof Impact Sprinkler.
In 1964 and 1965, respectively Senninger’s nephews Andy and Mark Healy came on board. The triumvirate of Joe, Andy and Mark proved to be an innovative team, pioneering such products as the industry’s first pressure regulator, color-coded nozzle systems, and plastic sprinkler heads for pivots.
Those early days weren’t easy. Salary was a meager $75 per week. The company would sometimes go weeks without an order, and when a big order would come in, it was almost completely up to the owners to see the job through.
Mark Healy recalls the time their one molding machine working 12 hours couldn’t keep up with their needs. “I was the only one that knew how to operate the machine at the time so before going home I would call my wife and have her leave the phone off the hook. I left the phone next to the molding machine so I could hear at home if anything went wrong. Periodic checking made for a light sleep, but in the morning we had a floor full of usable parts!”
Today, Senninger runs 32 molding machines that are used to mold in the neighborhood of 1,000 different parts. Most of the machines used to assemble Senninger’s parts are designed and built on-site. The company takes immense pride in its rigorous quality control and in the fact that every product is made in the U.S.A.
Honoring the Past
Joe Senninger passed away tragically in a boating accident in 1970, but the company that bears his name has not forgotten him, nor does it ignore the legacy of hard work and innovation he left behind. A small museum of sorts has cropped up in the hallway between the company’s offices and production floor to remind visitors and employees alike of Senninger’s roots. Mark Healy relishes the opportunity to lead what he affectionately calls “the 50-cent tour” of the operation.
“Here’s Joe’s drawing of that first sprinkler,” he says, tapping a frame on the wall. “And here’s a page from the order book from that first year. Everything was done by hand back then. We’ve come a long way.”
Real People
Going through the facility, there are all the sounds one would expect in a factory: whirring machinery, the pop as plastic parts come out of their molds and the clatter as they fall into boxes. Yet it’s not so overwhelming and discordant as to be considered a cacophony. In fact, coupled with the general cheerfulness of everyone, the noise takes on an almost musical tone.
Healy’s tour has a stop-and-go nature. Each employee who passes by is greeted with a warm smile and handshake, which is always reciprocated. Healy knows each of Senninger’s 200-plus employees by name, as well as most of their families. The front walkway leading into the facility is festooned with engraved stones bearing the name of every employee who has been at Senninger longer than two years. A small brass plaque is embedded in each stone, indicating the respective employee’s years of service.
“They feel like these are the people who contributed to get us to where we are,” says Ilkenhons.
In the break room, flags from more than 30 countries adorn the wall, representing the national origins of every Senninger employee.
“You could just say a job’s a job,” says Patrick Gibson, Senninger’s media and trade show coordinator, “but they really do care about you here; they care about your family and where you came from.”