Cherry Irrigation has established a solid foundation in the industry, built upon years of knowledge and experience as one of the few irrigation companies possessing the ability to take you from design right through to implementation.
INTRODUCTION
Cherry Irrigation has set itself apart in the industry with its delivery of an end-to-end solution service, which covers all aspects from the initial consultation, right through to design, implementation and after-sales customer support.
The Company boasts 30 years’ experience of working in the irrigation industry, working with a full complement of specialists spread across our service offering, all of which are very familiar with the close details involved at each stage of the process.
“It was my father, Peter Cherry and Andle Boonzaaier that founded the Company in 1987, predominantly with the purpose of serving the local farming community,” explains Charles Cherry, Owner of Cherry Irrigation. “All these years later we are still expanding, having moved on from an almost purely irrigation design office in the early days, to a supplier and following that with our installation and maintenance services.
“Excitingly, we have also increased our stock holding and now have an irrigation shop where local farmers are able to buy their irrigation, we are so proud of this and the way it links back to the heart of the Company in providing local farmers with everything required to suit their irrigation needs.”
With the inclusion of the store into Cherry Irrigation’s portfolio, it is now responsible for the sourcing and stock, calling for stringent organisation of the wide range of teams operating at the Company.
Cherry adds: “For example our installation team is excelling in the success of each project, taking full responsibility for all of its installations, with six teams at present that are constantly expanding.”
When it comes to developments in the irrigation sector, Cherry Irrigation has always been at the forefront and one step ahead of the competition in all aspects including planning, irrigation and installation systems. Due to its past and current success, there is no need to enlist sub-contractors, with in-house specialists that are fully responsible for all aspects of every project, with no middle-men there to slow the process.
WORKING WITH REPUTABLE SUPPLIERS
With the Company’s excellent reputation, it is able to be very picky when it comes to the companies that it works with, only choosing reputable suppliers and leaders in the field of automation that will be able to offer top-class automation solution systems for each customers greenhouse needs.
“We combine all of these factors with the ability to produce high-end designs,” continues Cherry. “We are a South African Irrigation Institute (SABI) Company Member and therefore all of our designers are also SABI members, therefore ensuring consistency in offering the best possible design solution.”
Through its tireless hard work over the years, the Company has built a very good relationship with other service providers in the industry which enables very good working relations when working as a team.
“As a multi-faceted Company, teamwork is one of our main objectives and we are constantly on the lookout for staff that will fit into our dynamic environment,” affirms Cherry. “In order to attract and retain the right people, we offer constant training and skill development as one of our most important tools.
“I firmly believe that retention of staff is a key factor to our success, we truly value our employees and that is demonstrated in the incredibly low staff turnover we possess.”
STRONG CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS
Cherry Irrigation is constantly striving towards achieving better and stronger client relationships, understanding both the changing needs of the clients and the market in which the Company operates.
“Right from the start of a project, we will work with soil scientists and crop specific experts in order to ensure that we meet all of the client’s specific criteria and take on the difficult areas such as designing it to fit those specifications,” Cherry describes. “Our protocol is to always use the most energy efficient designs possible, staying at the forefront in terms of irrigation regulations, consultants and soil scientists.
Although the Company is based in the Western Cape, Cherry Irrigation has successfully branched all over South Africa, also involved in Angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania; where Cherry will regularly conduct site visits to ensure standards are being maintained.
“We ensure that all of our facilities are up-to-date with the newest software, and alongside keeping our designs energy efficient,” adds Cherry. “In order to do this we are constantly upgrading our tools and survey equipment in order to meet industry demands and working on our facilities in order to suit our needs.”
MAJOR FOCUS
Some of the major focus-points within the Company are centrally around open-field irrigation, specialist greenhouse climate control and fertigation solutions; alongside that are Cherry Irrigation’s consultation, assessment, planning and design, implementation and after-sales support teams which are all part of the exceptional service on offer.
Cherry explains: “Whether the required services are in an open-field situation or located undercover in a greenhouse, each application will naturally have different requirements with every situation being unique to each client.”
With Cherry Irrigation’s irrigation projects, its designs take into consideration many factors, including environmental, geographical and agronomical aspects which ensure that plants both outside and those located within the greenhouses are obtaining the optimum amount of water required.
“Another of our main sectors is fertigation – which we are particularly excited about – where we are able to combine your fertilisation needs within drip irrigation systems,” Cherry shares. “It is without a doubt the most efficient way to be able to feed and water crops.”
The Company also provides specialist climate control solutions to greenhouses and poly tunnels which enable the guarantee of maximum results for the customer’s investment.
“Moving forward we would like to continue our work with a wide variety of different agricultural businesses located throughout Southern Africa and perhaps further afield,” concludes Cherry. “We are incredibly proud of the high-standard of work that we consistently demonstrate and I look forward to seeing how we adapt and grow within this innovative market in the years to come.”
