Our story begins with a rocket scientist. A real rocket scientist. With a background in chemical engineering and a stint in the Army Artillery Corps Guided Missile School, Carl Kah Jr. helped develop early reusable rocket technology at Pratt & Whitney. That’s NASA rocket technology (still in use today mind you). 

With a natural born instinct for invention, Carl turned his attention to his own landscape irrigation system and thought, I can make it better. Call it: When science meets grass roots greatness. From the lathe in his garage, he designed and machined a valve that cycled zone-to-zone and eliminated the need for multiple valves. That creative inventiveness, or inventive creativity, led to patent number one in 1966.

With acres of ideas for greening up any size space, in 1970 Carl invented and patented a device he called Modulated Pressure Control. It allowed for the control of the entire irrigation system of a golf course without wires or tubes. The sale of that patent was the green light to incorporating K-Rain Manufacturing in 1972.

Cultivating growth

Helping to grow the business from the ground up was son, Chip, who joined the company in 1986.  Committed to engineering products that are reliable and eco-conscious, Chip led the development and growth of indexing valves for the wastewater disposal industry. 

In 1991, Carl and Chip, always innovating, introduced the first of many patented gear drive rotors. Four years later, K-Rain augmented the professional line by expanding its products into the retail market - taking the business to the next level.

Joining the burgeoning business that same year were Carl’s two daughters, Gretchen and Deborah.  Gretchen would lead growth in the west coast sales division. Deborah, an attorney, would be managing intellectual property and human resources.  And in 2016, Chip’s two sons, Christopher and Trevor, joined K-Rain making it a 3rd generation company.

Green and Growing the Industry

Look across the industry and you’ll find a little bit of K-Rain innovation sprinkled into the competitive set.  K-Rain holds over 100 patents specific to irrigation including the three-spring reversing mechanism still used today in most gear-driven sprinklers.

Engineering the hardest-working irrigation products in the world is our heritage and our mission.  Our commitment to quality is reflected in an ISO 9001 quality certification - the standard for manufacturing and process control.

We’re also environmentally conscious about the materials we select and the products we produce.  Sustainability is in our DNA.  That’s why we’re an industry leader with a full range of products for reclaimed/recycled water.

Over 400 men and women make up the K-Rain dream team, serving customers in the United States and more than 60 countries worldwide.