Legacy of a man

I received this message from Lindsay Corporation today and believe it is worth sharing.  It is a fine tribute to Paul Zimmerer who recently passed away at the age of 94:

In the early 1950’s, an inventor by the name of Paul Zimmerer working out of his blacksmith shop in Lindsay, Neb., changing the landscape of Nebraska agriculture with a series of innovative irrigation products - such as the Big Red Towline - that allowed farmers the ability to irrigate tall corn with less labor.

Later in 1968, Paul with his sons Art and Bernie, developed one of the first electric center pivots that made its first circle on a cornfield in Newman Grove, Neb., a short distance from his farm machinery business in Lindsay. That first Zimmatic (coined from the family name) pivot still runs in Newman Grove today.

Zimmerer’s center pivot system was unique because of the ‘uni-knuckle’ joint that was designed to irrigate rough terrain, as the original water-drive pivots were only capable of irrigating relatively flat fields. The Zimmatic’s enclosed worm gearboxes remain the standard drive mechanism still used on today’s electric center pivots.

This development was a major step in propelling the name of Lindsay and the Zimmatic center pivots as a leader and a major supplier of irrigation equipment with systems operating in over 80 countries worldwide. Today, more than 25,000 miles of Zimmatic center pivots have been built at the original plant site founded by Paul Zimmerer.

More than 1,000 employees of the Lindsay Corporation honor the contributions of Paul Zimmerer and the Zimmerer family as this true irrigation pioneer is laid to rest near where it all began. Paul was a man who worked hard, cared for his customers and had an inquisitive mind - all of which were key to the success he achieved.

Thank You Paul, Bernie and Art.

From Rick Parod, president and chief executive officer of Lindsay Corporation:

Mr. Zimmerer’s entrepreneurialism and innovation helped advance irrigational technology used throughout the world. His contributions greatly benefited Lindsay, the surrounding rural community and the state of Nebraska.

Lindsay Corporation is proud to be a part of his legacy.