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

David Witzke *

It is with great sadness that we offer a fond farewell to our friend and colleague, David Wayne Witzke (1939-2008). On Saturday, September 6, 2008, our industry suffered a staggering loss as Dave’s battle with cancer ended.

 A longstanding irrigation industry veteran with over 50 years of experience, Dave will be whole-heartedly missed. During his 20 years with Ewing, his work ethic and character were simply unmatched. A fountain of wisdom widely celebrated for his vast product knowledge, Dave honored life’s simplicities and cultivated deep relationships. The dedication he demonstrated toward his family, work, friends and colleagues exuded a level of inspiration that we can only hope to achieve in our own lives.

Dave began his career at a plumbing supply company based in Redding, Calif., before shifting to American Brass and Iron Foundry (AB&I). In 1967, the Witzke family moved to Fremont, Calif., where Dave embarked on a six-year stint serving as a purchasing agent for Automatic Rain. Later he joined the Ewing family, where he served as branch administrator with oversight of sales and operations for Ewing’s first three stores.

Chasing the vision of opening his own business, Dave left his position at Ewing to co-found KKW, Inc., a firm specializing in manufacturer representation. In the early 90’s, Ken Wisz, Dean Cummings and Dave Cummings would purchase KKW, Inc., renaming it RepCor—which is still thriving today.

After testing the waters of retirement and deciding the idle life did not suit his assiduous work ethic, Dave returned to Ewing. Back at the helm as purchasing agent and technical services expert, Dave remained intensely focused for the remainder of his career on helping Ewing branch managers and sales staff serve their customers better. Widely respected for his extensive knowledge in the areas of technical specifications, product lines and obscure parts, Dave—affectionately dubbed the “99 king” by his peers—was the absolute “go-to-guy” for all-things irrigation related.