Netafim
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| Netafim | |
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| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Israel |
| Industry | Irrigation Drip irrigation Greenhouses |
| Employees | over 2,000 |
| Website | www.netafim.com |
Netafim is a large manufacturer of irrigation equipment for agriculture, specializing in drip irrigation. It operates in 112 countries through 30 subsidiaries. Netafim manufactures products in 11 plants with over 2,000 employees throughout the world. Founded in 1965, Netafim introduced a new concept of low-volume irrigation, and so started the drip irrigation revolution. Netafim is jointly owned by three kibbutzim - Hatzerim, Magal and Yiftach and the Markston-Tenne Fund. Annual sales in 2006 totaled $397 million.
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[edit] History
Based on a concept developed by agronomist Simcha Blass, Netafim was established in 1965 in kibbutz Hatzerim, swiftly becoming a global enterprise controlling over one third of the global micro-irrigation market. Since then Netafim has expanded its basket of products to other areas of agriculture, public landscaping and private gardens.
[edit] Products
Netafim produces drip irrigation systems and other water technologies intended to increase yields and improve crop production while preserving quality and quantity of water and soil fertility. The company products are designed to provide solutions in the areas of efficient irrigation, control and agronomy for a range of field crops, orchards and vineyards grown under varied topographic and climatic conditions throughout the world.
At present Netafim is developing ecological solutions for producing fuel from alternative sources. Concurrently, Netafim is launching a low pressure irrigation system that offers a solution for areas where water pressure and/or electrical infrastructure do not permit using high pressure systems. This development will facilitate introduction of the drip irrigation systems into additional agricultural areas.
Netafim products are manufactured under quality standards and its quality management complies with ISO 9001: 2000
[edit] Divisions
Netafim Greenhouse produces a variety of greenhouses, from net houses for hot climates to more advanced glass greenhouses in cold climates.
Netafim's Agriculture Division conducts research, development and training in agriculture and agro-technology. It collaborates with research institutions in Israel and the world in conducting experiments on a broad range of crops.
[edit] Competition
Netafim status as the world's largest drip irrigation company has recently come to be endangered, as it was reported in early June 2007 that John Deere (the American agricultural machinery company) is negotiating to buy out Plastro Irrigation Systems, Netafim's biggest competitor.[1]
