Training for Valley Dealers – an Insider’s Perspective | by Michelle Stolte

Over the last month, I have attended a couple different classes offered to Valley_® dealers by Valley Irrigation.

The first class I attended was Design School, where primarily new, but also some veteran dealer personnel attend to better learn how to design center pivots, corners and linears. In this class, not only did we physically design machines on the computer, but we also learned about limitations for different kinds of equipment, so we can be assured peak performance in the field. An extensive amount of time was spent on the importance of water application and the characteristics of many different sprinklers we offer. 

Service School students are learning
Valley  tower box wiring code and schematics.

The second class I attended a few weeks later was Service School. There were approximately 100 dealership personnel in attendance at this school, some of them here on their first day of work, others who have worked for the dealership for 30-plus years. It was the eighth class our service department offered this season. 

There was a strong emphasis on safety, and then, in the Basic Level (which I, of course, attended!), we focused on wiring and troubleshooting. I gained a much greater appreciation for the work that all of our service people do day in and day out. While I have determined that I probably won’t be our service department’s first service woman, I did learn a lot, have even more respect for electricity than I did before and am glad I attended the class.

Training our dealership personnel is extremely important to Valley, and these are just two examples of the different training classes we offer. We want to make sure that our dealers are the best in the country and the world, so we invest a lot of time and effort in the different education methods we offer them.

I want to thank all of those who led the schools that I recently attended – the programs were top-notch and extremely educational.

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Michelle Stolte Global Marketing Manager Michelle has been at Valley Irrigation for more than 10 years and is finally no longer a newbie! She has spent her entire time at Valley in the Marketing Department (international and domestic) and loves every minute of it. Michelle enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband. She also likes reading, swing dancing (although she isn't really that good...), and warm weather.

Middle East Dealerships Provide Unique Service Offerings | by Adrian Cliffe

In the Middle East market, we have a lot of large-scale projects with investors. Some of these investors have limited experience when it comes to managing large-scales farms. When that happens, the irrigation equipment is often overlooked and not correctly maintained. 

A large-scale farm project in the desert.

This type of equipment neglect can mean the return on investment is drawn-out and can lead to a lot of unhappy investors. 

To address this, a lot of Middle East Valley_® dealerships are offering 24-hour service contracts. The dealerships have full-time, trained employees based on the farms to respond quickly to any equipment issues that may arise.

The Middle East dealerships also offer support to all farmers. In the Middle East, flow meters are often not sold with systems. Therefore, customers don’t know if their pumps are applying the correct amount of water for the crops. 

Our dealers offer a solution using a digital flow meter. They visit the farmers monthly, quarterly, or even yearly to update the farmer on a pump's performance. 

This all leads to offering better support to the end user and making sure that Valley equipment is always working at its most efficient. It also creates a win-win partnership for everyone and happy investors.

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Adrian Cliffe Territory Sales Manager for Egypt, Turkey, Oman, and UAE Adrian has been working for Valmont® Irrigation for more than 3 years. He is an agricultural engineer and has worked for the largest suppliers of machinery in Ireland. He enjoys designing and manufacturing farm machinery. Adrian was a member of the Middle East hurling team that won the international championship last year. He also plays soccer and likes going to the movies and relaxing at the pool.

At the Mercy of the Weather | by Shannon Peterson

Farming and the weather. It’s a never-ending confrontation, and 2014 is offering up some epic battles.

Growers in Texas, California, and other western states face severe drought conditions that show no sign of letting up. Severe heat aggravates the situation and poses the additional threat of wildfires.

Twin tornadoes hit Pilger, NE, and the surrounding area June 16.

Meanwhile, the Midwest is being torn apart by damaging storms and tornadoes. Valley dealers in Nebraska are dealing with multiple overturned or damaged pivots.

Many growers are scrambling to get their pivots repaired in time for peak irrigation season. Others are evaluating their devastated fields and determining whether to replant.

At either extreme – drought or damage – words of comfort are of little value. Action and solutions are needed.

However; at times like these, it is reassuring to know that your Valley dealer is on hand to support you. Service teams are out in the fields repairing and replacing damaged pivots. They are doing everything possible to get farms back up and running. In fact, I recently called a Nebraska dealer with a question. He asked to email him the question because, “we have a lot of pivots down in the area and I’m having a hard time concentrating on anything else right now.” That’s commitment.

Meanwhile, those battling drought can mitigate the effects by turning to more efficient irrigation equipment, such as center pivots. And, growers can get financial support from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and information and assistance from the USDA.

Let us help you – no matter what you need. We’re here for you.

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Shannon Peterson Marketing Content Editor Shannon joined Valley Irrigation in 2013. She writes and edits materials about irrigation equipment. Shannon enjoys traveling with her family, particularly to national parks, and she occasionally writes about her travels for tourism magazines. She also likes trying new restaurants, seeing movies, and watching Husker football and Creighton basketball.

Commitment to Excellence – Certified Irrigation Designer | by Jerry Gerdes

Valley Service School in Dubai,
United Arab Emirates

Well, the winter season is almost over. Valley_® sales people have been busy this winter attending trade shows and meeting growers from all across the country. It always impresses me to see large numbers of farmers at trade shows and seminars eager to learn about new products and new technologies that can improve their farming operations.


Valley dealer personnel have also been attending many Valley-sponsored events; sales meetings, design schools, and service schools, this winter to get the latest information on Valley products and how to apply those products to meet their customer’s needs.

Over the past several years, a number of Valley dealer salespeople have earned the status of Certified Irrigation Designer (CID) through the Irrigation Association’s Certification Program. This certification is earned by passing a series of three exams that cover design topics such as pumps, pipelines, crop water use, and sprinklers.

Becoming certified is a commitment to improving one’s knowledge of irrigation topics and the ability to provide the best service possible when designing a center pivot or linear machine for customers. 

World Ag Expo in Tulare, CA

All Valley dealers that have reached the status of Performance Premier Dealer have at least one salesperson on staff who has earned CID status.

In January 2014, I began serving on the Irrigation Association Certification Board. I look forward to the challenge of continuing the excellence of the certification programs. I am certified as a CID and I encourage anyone within the Irrigation industry that is not certified to give it a look. 

Click here for more information about the certification process.

Becoming certified is a great accomplishment and a great way to show your commitment to the irrigation industry.

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Jerry Gerdes Product Manager - Water Application Jerry, Nebraska-based Water Application Product Manager, contributes years of experience from his time working for a sprinkler manufacturer prior to joining Valley Irrigation. Currently working with different sprinkler manufacturers, Jerry develops the recommendations for the optimum water application package for a grower's operation.