Getting water to farmers has been Gary Bennett's life story. The owner of Bennett and Bennett Irrigation Systems is the 2008 Lemoore Chamber of Commerce's Agricultural Support Business of the Year. "I am very honored to be named Ag Supporter of the Year," Bennett said, as he sat in his sparse Armona office on Thursday. "Actually, I'm kind of surprised I was picked."

Bennett said there were many deserving people in the area who could be honored with the award.

According to Bennett, it is his employees, especially corporate vice president and Selma manager Scott Britten, Armona manager Bill Sharp and corporate office manager Bobbie Bell, who have been with the company more than 40 years, who deserve the honor.

Bennett and Bennett Irrigation Systems began in 1928 with Gary Bennett's grandfather, Lon Bennett, in Selma. Gary's father, Orville Bennett, branched out to Armona in 1945. Gary took over both sites in 1968. Recently, Tyler Bennett, Gary's son, has come into the business, continuing the tradition of providing area farmers with top-of-the-line irrigation systems to the fourth generation.

Born in Selma, Gary Bennett was raised in Hanford and graduated from Hanford High School in 1959.

His company designs irrigation systems for farmers. It installs concrete and plastic pipe and drip irrigation systems in farms throughout the area.

Bennett has seen many changes in irrigation during his career but feels the greatest are the change from concrete pipe to plastic and the advent of drip irrigation. Both changes help to conserve and get the most out of every drop of water.

"Farmers are much more water savvy today than when I started," he said.

His company's goal is to continue to improve the quality of what it does and expand the range of its employees' understanding of technology to better serve their customers' needs.

"It's a challenge to keep up with technology and it's implication," Bennett said.

He said if he didn't have such great employees, his company would never succeed at these goals.

Hauling big pipes around on huge trucks and digging in the dirt may be great fun for Bennett, but he said the best part of his job is working with the wonderful people -- his employees and customers.

Judy Finney is a reporter for The Lemoore Advance.

(Aug. 26, 2008)