One of the most important questions anybody should ask when starting their own business, regardless of the industry, is what are my customer needs, wants and demands. This was no different for Edwin Hunter, founder of Hunter Industries, when he decided to start his own company. In 1981, Edwin Hunter, "retired" from Toro Inc. and started his own business in San Marcos, CA. With more than 30 years of experience in the irrigation industry and a great number of patents to his name, Mr. Edwin Hunter had a huge advantage over other start up companies.
The company we selected is Hunter Industries. They are located in San Marcos, CA and have manufacturing plants in Tijuana (Mexico), Cary (North Carolina) and offices all over the world. Hunter Industries, a family owned company, is a manufacturer of irrigation products. They consider themselves "the world's leading manufacturer of irrigation equipment for the landscape and golf course industry" (website). The company has been in business for over 25 years and continues to be family operated. The company's mission statement is "To be the Landscape professional's first choice for irrigation products and services" (website). The company is headed by CEO, Richard E. Hunter, who joined his dad, brother and sister and in 1993 assumed complete control of the company. The company holds over 250 patents and over 40 trademarks. It is estimated that Hunter employs over 1,100 employees world-wide.
Hunter's full array of products include rotors, sprays, valves, controllers, sensors etc? However, the most significant product line has been the rotor line, which put Hunter on the map in the irrigation industry. With the introduction of the PGP line, Hunte ...