Rain Bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other uses of "Rain Bird" and "Rainbird", see Rainbird.
Rain Bird Corporation is a large privately held manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, based in Glendora, California. Rain Bird had its origins in 1932 when California citrus grower Orton Englehardt developed the first prototype of the impact sprinkler. By 1933, his friend and neighbor Clement LaFetra was helping him make the sprinklers and urged him to patent the invention. Englehardt preferred farming, so in 1935 he sold the burgeoning business to LaFetra, whose descendants still operate the company. The name Rain Bird was taken from the Native American legend of a bird that brought rain. Since its beginnings, Rain Bird has offered irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas, and commercial developments worldwide. Rain Bird has been awarded more than 130 patents. Rain Bird also offers education, training and services for the industry and the community. Rain Bird maintains manufacturing assembly facilities in the United States, France, Sweden and Mexico.
