The Irrigation Association, Fairfax, Virginia, has opened its application portal for the 2024 Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra scholarship program.
The program is open to students at two- and four-year institutions of higher education pursuing irrigation-related degrees and careers and provides scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 awarded based on the candidate’s letter of intent, financial need, resume, list of irrigation courses and letters of reference.
To be eligible, a student must
- be currently enrolled (undergraduate or graduate) at a U.S. technical or vocational school, community college, university or similar institution of higher learning with a graduation date of December 2024 or later.
- be a U.S. citizen.
- have taken or be currently enrolled in a class with irrigation-related curriculum.
- have a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA, based on a 4.0 scale.
- demonstrate financial need.
- not have been selected as a scholarship recipient in a prior year.
The program is named in honor of Rain Bird’s late president and CEO Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra. The program is sponsored by Rain Bird.
Applications for 2024 scholarships are now open and are due March 31, 2024. Scholarship recipients will be notified via email by May 31, 2024.
To view all program requirements, learn about the application process and see a list of previous winners, visit irrigation.org/scholarships.
IA presses Congress for tax policy designed to ‘support innovation’
The Irrigation Association, Fairfax, Virginia, signed on to a letter addressed to congressional leaders advocating for the extension of three tax policies.
The association was joined by more than 1,000 other businesses representing a diverse group of industries across the country.
The letter specifically urges Congress to take immediate action to extend three tax policies: immediate research and development expensing, a pro-growth interest deductibility, and standard and full expensing.
“Although legislation has been introduced in both chambers in support of these policies, Congress must act immediately to extend these competitive tax policies. Failing to do so will put hundreds of thousands of family-supporting jobs, cutting-edge innovation and pro-growth investments in America at risk,” the letter reads.
The three tax policies the letter specifically advocates for are as follows:
- Immediate research and development expensing: The letter emphasizes the importance of innovation in America’s economy and national security. It points out the negative impact of the recent requirement for businesses to amortize research and development expenses over several years instead of deducting them in the same year. This change makes research and development more expensive in the U.S. and puts thousands of jobs at risk.
- Pro-growth interest deductibility standard: The letter discusses the critical role of debt financing in business growth and job creation. It highlights the shift in tax policy from a 30% deduction limit based on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization to a stricter standard based on earnings before interest and tax. This change increases taxes and financing costs, especially impacting capital-intensive companies and posing a threat to jobs and economic growth.
- Full expensing: The coalition argues for the restoration of full expensing, a policy that allows businesses to deduct the full cost of equipment and machinery in the year of purchase. This policy had been in place from 2017 through 2022 but began phasing out in 2023. Full expensing is particularly important for smaller businesses, as it reduces after-tax costs and stimulates investment. The letter stresses that failing to restore full expensing will adversely affect U.S. businesses’ ability to invest and compete globally.
Irrigation Association names 2023 Pitch Competition winners
The Irrigation Association announced the winners of the 2023 Pitch Competition, showcasing products by today’s groundbreaking agriculture and landscape irrigation technology startup companies. 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.
The 2023 Landscape Irrigation Pitch Competition winner is Summit Spray. The Summit Spray sprinkler head offers a high-reaching “power shower,” reaching from the ground up to 20 feet high to efficiently water plants, replacing the need to hand water or affix irrigation tubing up trees with a drip mount.
This winning startup represents 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.
“We were truly impressed by the exceptional quality and innovation displayed by the participants in this year’s Pitch Competition,” says IA CEO Natasha Rankin, MBA, CAE. “These entrepreneurs and innovators not only elevate their own enterprises, they bring creativity and transformative ideas that nourish the entire industry, fostering continued growth, sustainability and a thriving irrigation industry.
The Pitch Competition is a testament to the IA’s commitment to promoting innovation. By providing a platform for these promising startups to showcase their ideas, the IA is working to foster a thriving, growing irrigation industry.
This year’s competition featured 10 irrigation startup companies that gave presentations and were judged by a panel of experts evaluating the quality of their presentation, the product, market need and economic feasibility. Official judging was conducted live on the exhibit floor on Nov. 29 during the 2023 Irrigation Show and Education Week. The winners were announced Nov. 30 during the IA General Session.
Visit irrigationshow.org for more details about the contest and to see a list of the startup companies that exhibited at the show and participated in the Pitch Competition.
2023 Irrigation Association New Product Contest winners announced
The Irrigation Association celebrated the innovative products and technologies that are shaping the future of water management in announcing the winners of the 2023 New Product Contest. This annual competition showcases the newest premier products in the irrigation industry, underscoring the commitment of industry leaders to sustainable water use and improved irrigation efficiency.
Forty-five new products and technologies were entered.
Landscape irrigation category
In the category of companies with annual revenue less than $20 million, the winner is the SPVLF Low Flow Commercial Plastic Valve by Superior. Designed for use as a master or zone valve, the SPVLF is a low flow, high performance irrigation and landscape valve with no minimum flow requirement, which opens and closes regardless of system flow rate and has reliable low flow operation.
Among companies with annual revenue equal to or greater than $20 million, the winner is the FG100 Flow Sensor by Rain Bird Corporation. Designed for residential and light commercial applications, the Rain Bird FG100 Flow Sensor reads high and low flow rates reliably and accurately with flexibility in installation locations.
Landscape lighting category
The landscape lighting winner is the Kichler Smart Control Transformer by Kichler Lighting. With the ability to control lights from anywhere, this 300-watt low-voltage smart control transformer offers the flexibility to design and schedule up to three separate lighting zones, allowing customers to customize and control the areas they want to illuminate.
“The 2023 New Product Contest winners showcase the irrigation industry’s commitment to product innovation and emerging technological trends,” said IA CEO Natasha Rankin, MBA, CAE. “These products not only bring groundbreaking solutions to market, they also represent the driving force behind growth and sustainability of the irrigation industry.”
Products were evaluated based on innovation, design quality, increased water/resource-use efficiency, ease of use and product life expectancy. Official judging was conducted live on the exhibit floor on Nov. 29 during the 2023 Irrigation Show and Education Week in San Antonio. Winners were announced Nov. 30 during the IA General Session.
Visit irrigationshow.org for more details about the contest and to see all the products entered. Contact IA business development (businessdevelopment@irrigation.org, 703.817.6098) for information about entering a product in the 2024 New Product Contest.
