T-L Irrigation Co. celebrates 70 years of irrigation innovation

HASTINGS, Neb. — T-L Irrigation Co. celebrated not just a new year on Jan. 1, but its 70th year of supplying innovative, reliable irrigation solutions to farmers the world over.

Reaching their platinum anniversary is a testament to the will and dedication to excellence first modeled by company founder LeRoy Thom.

“Persistence was one of many things my dad was great at and insisted upon. When we were working on a prototype, it was never ‘if it was going to work,’ it was ‘when it was going to work,’” said David Thom, president of family owned and operated T-L Irrigation Co.

Throughout the decades, T-L Irrigation has helped their farming customers adopt increasingly efficient and effective irrigation technologies.

Starting as a supplier of irrigation equipment, they took their first step into manufacturing with the purchase of an aluminum pipe tube mill to make pipe for gravity irrigation.

In 1969 came the first T-L Irrigation pivot — a novel hydrostatic drive-powered pivot in a marketplace flooded by water, hydraulic and electric-drive systems.

The straightforward and effective technology continues to be the cornerstone of the extensive T-L product lineup.

A reputation for quality and durability helped T-L Irrigation emerge as an industry leader during the pivot manufacturing boom of the 1970s and 1980s.

At one point, there were more than 70 pivot manufacturers in the United States, Thom said. T-L Irrigation is one of just four remaining manufacturers.

“We know what looks good on an engineer’s drawing board may not look so good in the mud 20 years from now. As a result, we’re never quick to release a product. We prioritize making sure our products run for a long time and are made right for the market,” Thom said.

Every piece of equipment — from tires to telemetry — is tested extensively on Thom family farms and must rise to their standards before being offered to farmers.

Reliable, easy-to repair products that performed consistently in the field helped bolster an ever-increasing customer base over the years.

Thom recalled it being very exciting when they started selling pivots across the state line into Colorado. Now, the family’s pivots are at work in 87 countries on six continents.

“We’re a family business and our customers run family businesses. I’ve always enjoyed designing new products that can help our customers be more profitable now and into the future,” Thom said.

David and his brother, Jim, operate T-L Irrigation along with multiple other Thom family members. They’re proud to see the next generation embracing the same passion for the industry and their customers.

“It’s always been driven into me that if our customers are successful, we’ll be successful,” said John Thom, vice president at T-L Irrigation and part of the third generation of the family to serve in the company.

“A core value within our family is to make products that just work and keep on working. I’m proud to be a part of this legacy.”