Above: Hunter Industries' founder Edwin J. Hunter held more than 150 patents in the field.

Irrigation entrepreneur and inventor Edwin J. Hunter founded Hunter Industries in 1981, along with family members Paul and Richard Hunter and Ann Hunter-Welborn. By the time Hunter started the company, he had been a legend in the irrigation industry for nearly 30 years.

Ed Hunter introduced the first plastic, pop-up gear-driven sprinklers back in the early 1960s and held over 150 patents for many other landscape irrigation products, including spray sprinklers, valves and controllers. He received numerous industry honors and was named landscape irrigation’s “Man of the Year.”

Today company President and CEO Richard Hunter directs Hunter operations and has initiated major expansion programs to develop new products and new markets.