Hall Of Fame Inductees

 

The individuals nominated should have made a significant impact or positive influence that assures the future of our industry in the lives of generations to come.

 

Once nominated, an individual’s biography and photo are updated on the site, and he or she is placed in the polls for voting. At the end of the year the committee takes into consideration the votes and decides which candidates are inducted.

 

Those with a star (*) next to their name below were either inducted posthumously or have passed away since being inducted.

 

Nomination Qualifications

  • Person with integrity and passion
  • Minimum 20 years in industry
  • Someone who has developed  or invented  new technology
  • Has made contributions that resulted in change
  • Contributed to mankind’s needs in his field
  • Provided education and encouragement  with self-sacrifice
  • Changed the industry

Chief Executive Officer

K-Rain Manufacturing Corporation

In 1953, Carl Kah graduated with honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Immediately following graduation, Carl served in the US Army Artillery corps from 1953 through 1959. There, he graduated “first in class” from the 53-week Guided Missile Staff Officer Training Course.  After being honorably discharged, Kah joined Pratt Whitney Aircraft in the Applied Research and Propulsion Division. He was resident at the company’s Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, research and development facility.  At Pratt Whitney, Carl Kah served as Deputy Program Manager for the Air Force’s reusable rocket engine program. The technology developed there precedes the engine currently employed in NASA space shuttles. Kah was project engineer for United Aircraft’s first large gas dynamic laser, the largest in the world at the time.

In 1974, Carl Kah founded K-Rain Manufacturing Corporation. The company manufactured and marketed his newly patented concept for an automatic residential irrigation control system. Today, Carl holds over 80 patents (list attached) specific to the irrigation industry. He continues to leverage his engineering expertise and creativity to further develop innovative technology and industry-leading advancements in irrigation.

In 1988 Kah was honored as Florida Small Business Leader of the Year and represented the State of Florida in Washington.  His involvement in community and industry service has continued since.  Kah is past president of the Florida Irrigation Society, founding director and past president of the Palm Beach County Word Trade Council, former director and past chairman of the Education Committee for the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, past member of the Department of Commerce District Export Council and a founding director of a Palm Beach County Bank.  Kah served for a number of years on the Executive Advisory Committee for Florida Atlantic University and the Advisory Committee for Palm Beach Community College.  Kah was invited to the White House and participated in discussions regarding the passing of NAFTA.

Kah’s industry innovations include:

  • Invention of the K-Rain 6000 and 4000 Series Indexing Valves which are a very dependable  and low cost design for pump and well applications
  • Improved the drive mechanism for gear driven rotors with the design and patent of the third reversing spring.  This innovation biases the gear drive, eliminating the neutral position (an inherent problem for all gear driven sprinklers). This feature is incorporated in all K-Rain gear driven rotors making them very reliable
  • Invention of the arc indication on the top of the sprinkler, which dramatically improves the ease and simplicity of setting the sprinkler’s arc of oscillation
  • Invention and design of the clutch mechanism in the K-Rain ProPlus and SuperPro, which returns the sprinkler to the preset pattern when the riser is moved out of position
  • Invention and design of the feature in all K-Rain ProPlus and SuperPro of full 360 degree and adjustable arc within one gear driven rotor;
  • Invention and design of an improved flow shut off feature for the K-Rain SuperPro which allows flow shut off for nozzle changing, as well as range reduction plus flow reduction with no low pressure drop in the main flow path.  This innovation improves the distribution pattern
  • Invention and design of the tilt valve K-Rain 100 Series Electric Valves for improved self-cleaning and very low pressure drop.

Presently, K-Rain is the industry’s third largest manufacturer of half-inch and three quarter-inch gear driven rotors. Operating from its headquarters in Riviera Beach, Florida, K-Rain develops and manufactures products for the professional and consumer marketplace.  Having grown from one employee in 1974, K-Rain currently employs a diverse workforce of over 350 people with facilities in Florida and the Dominican Republic.