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New Trends in Chemigation
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gri-Inject is a pioneer in the chemigation field. Since the 1980s, the Yuma, Colorado–based company has been promoting the use of mobile irrigation systems to apply fertilizer and chemicals in liquid form. This method of applications allows for the quick, low-volume, and continuous applications of liquid chemicals, which is particularly valuable for water-intensive crops like potatoes and vegetables. In this interview, Erik Tribelhorn, chief executive officer (CEO) of Agri-Inject, speaks with Municipal Water Leader Editor-in-Chief Kris Polly about how Agri-Inject is educating farmers on the benefits of chemigation.
Kris Polly: How long have you been with Agri-Inject? Erik Tribelhorn: I’ve been with the company during two different stints, first from late 1991 to May 1999, and second from October 2011 to the present—about 15 years in total. Kris Polly: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
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Erik Tribelhorn: I started at the University of Colorado Boulder for my first year. I spent my sophomore year at Northeastern Junior College on a basketball scholarship. I spent the next 18 months at Colorado State University, but I didn’t graduate. I was 18 or 21 credits away from a degree in business management when I ran out of money and decided to take a couple of years off and get some work experience. I got so involved in business that I still haven’t finished the degree; anyway, I felt that the experience that I was getting through my work was as valuable, if not more valuable, than taking the time to finish my degree. I learned a lot through my schooling, but I feel that the real-world experiences of running a business were of much greater value. Kris Polly: Please tell us about Agri-Inject as a company. Erik Tribelhorn: Agri-Inject was by founded in 1983 by Gary Newton, a farmer in the Yuma and Wray area of northeastern Colorado. Irrigation became prevalent in the area during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Mr. Newton recognized that it was possible to inject liquid chemicals and fertilizer into an irrigation system and apply those products simultaneously with the water. Since electric irrigation was becoming more and more reliable at that time, the idea of chemigation was a viable one, and the business he had started on his farm kept growing. In the late 1980s, the company moved to Yuma, Colorado,
PHOTO COURTESY OF AGRI-INJECT.
Erik Tribelhorn: I am from northeastern Colorado, and I knew the founder of the company, Gary Newton, through his son, who was my age. I started at Agri-Inject in 1991 as my first job out of college. I started in an inventory control position and did whatever else was needed. The company was going through a difficult transitional time at that point, so there were a lot of gaps that needed to be filled, and I had a lot of opportunities to stick my nose into different areas and help out wherever I could. During those first few years, I worked my way up to general manager with ownership opportunities. In 1999, I left the company for 12 years, during which time I was involved in a Valley Irrigation dealership, but I stayed on Agri-Inject’s board of directors. That gave me the opportunity to keep my eye on the business. I’ve always been interested in the manufacturing business and the complexity and challenges that manufacturers face. In addition, I have investments in retail businesses, I have started multiple service businesses and a marketing business, and I was in the irrigation business from a dealership perspective. When I came back to Agri-Inject in October 2011 as the CEO, that experience helped me understand the mindset and expectations of our irrigation dealer channel. That gave us an edge in how we positioned our products and structured our programs.
Kris Polly: Where did you go to school?
