The Israel-based irrigation company with North American headquarters in Fresno brought on its first woman to lead operations as the company adopts new technologies and helps growers adapt to the latest challenges.

Netafim named Melissa Lilze, who has been with the company more than 10 years, as senior vice president of North America. She replaces former senior vice president Mike Hemman.

She said her experience working with growers and ag technology will help the world’s largest irrigation company troubleshoot farmers’ problems — whether they be water, labor, or anything else.

“My path to this role was built, I like to say, with hands-on experience. I’ve worked in the past directly with growers, with dealers, our partner dealers, and then most recently with Netafim field teams across the key regions,” Lilze said. “Seeing firsthand what works and what doesn’t work, that’s shaped how I lead.”

Related Story: Key Forecast Killed After Almond Price Collapse. Was It a Knee-Jerk Decision?

Netafim Connects Growers With Grants for Irrigation

Lilze said new products and expanded markets would drive growth for the company this year as opposed to asking sales teams sell more of the same products.

Rebounding values of permanent crops such as almonds and pistachios mean growers can invest in irrigation products and solutions. Additionally, as water restrictions begin to apply statewide, regions that have relied on sprinkler or flood irrigation are starting to see the benefits of drip, Lilze said.

In recent years, federal grant programs to subsidize conversion to water-saving delivery systems have gone dry, but Lilze expects those programs to return this year. Those programs will be highly competitive and the window will be short, she said.

Netafim also launched a corporate partnership program to help growers find private grant money from companies such as Keurig, Dr. Pepper, and Google to fund conversions to drip irrigation.

“Netafim is going and finding those funds and then matching them up with growers in the same area to help them reduce their water footprint, and in turn, it’s creating a quicker return on investment for these growers to put a more efficient drip irrigation system in,” Lilze said.

New Products Coming Out of Fresno Facility

New technology will also help Netafim reach growers face unique challenges. Drip can have pressurizing problems, especially if the line has to climb hills and drop into valleys. A new pressure compensating system will help get water to crops in hard-to-reach areas, Lilze said.

“If you can envision the coastal regions that have varying elevation in the field, bringing a true pressure compensating dripper line to crops that are grown with some elevation is a game changer,” Lilze said.

Netafim employs 130 people in North America, with 105 of those in Fresno, either selling, troubleshooting, or manufacturing, she said.

New products are being made out of the Fresno facility at McKinley and Peach avenues. She said those products get built from conversations directly with growers.

“We’re bringing all the equipment and tooling to our local facility in Fresno to be closer to the market and react quicker,” Lilze said. “It’s brand new technology — nobody has anything like it — and truly it came from being in the field and listening to the growers and hearing what their issues are.”