Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company

03/19/2025

We will be closing our Hastings office today due to power outage.

06/12/2024

The beginning of Aluminum Irrigation Pipe.

During the late forties, a young machinist with a small shop located in an alley between Third and Fourth Streets has an idea for an irrigation gate for delivering water from a pipe to a row-crop furrows. Patent applications were filed, and Paul Hohnstein’s “Hastings Specialty Manufacturing Company” started into the irrigation business.

A short time later, the business was incorporated under the name “Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company”, and was moved to a larger more suitable location, a building located on the highway near the edge of Hastings. Since Paul’s manufacturing experiences with Hastings Air Conditioning Company and the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot were primarily in working with a relatively new and exciting metal – aluminum – quite naturally he saw many advantages in replacing the galvanized steel pipe then being used for irrigation pipe, with aluminum pipe. Aluminum was much lighter: it could be produced in longer lengths for faster handling.
The next step was choosing an alloy and temper that would provide the strength and dent-resistance while remaining lightweight. A study was made of the various alloys of aluminum available at that time. Of particular importance was the weldability and formability. An alloy designated as 6061 was chosen, with a T6 (full-hard) temper. Material was ordered in sheets .051” thick – ten feet long X the width necessary to form the diameter required.
Since most of the pipe produced at that time required gates spaced at 40” apart (the standard spacing of row-crops), the first step in the manufacturing process was to stamp the gate-holes in the sheet. This was done on a punch press. The ten-foot long sheets were then formed to a round cylinder by repeatedly stamping the sheets on a press-brake. After forming, the edges of the sheets were then prepared for the welding by wire-brushing the weld area to remove the oxide and any dirt or oil that might interfere with the welding process. The seam was then welded by means of a fixture designed to weld a longitudinal seam ten feet long. Two ten-foot sections were welded together to make a twenty-foot length: a coupler was added, and the pipe was ready to go to the field.
Pipe was produced in this manner in three sizes – 8”, 9”, and 10”. Six to eight thousand feet per week was considered a “Good Week”!

(The pictures attached are from 1951 and were taken at the Third Street pipe yard on the East edge of Hastings.) Notice the girth welds on the center of the pipe. This is where the two ten-foot sections we welded together.
Special Thank you goes to Jewell Tomjack for writing “THE BIRTH OF AN INDUSTRY” the history of Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company before his passing.

05/08/2024

Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company is excited to announce, that Layla Schwartz has accepted a scholarship that has been offered from Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company to attend Central Community College. The scholarship is for Welding Technology program beginning for the fall of 2024. This scholarship is a 2 year full scholarship that includes tuition, books and $400 for supplies.

Layla had completed the information packet for the scholarship provided by Hastings Irrigation. After reviewing all of the applicant’s packets, Layla was clearly the best choice for Hastings Irrigation. Layla’s answer’s to the questions asked in the packet were exactly, what Hastings Irrigation is looking for in a future employee. Her attention to detail, and willingness to learn different types of welding methods will be extremely helpful in the future.

We would like to Congratulate Layla for winning this scholarship and welcome her when she joins our Welding Department in the very near future.

04/30/2024

Photos are from June 19th, 1968, showing the inside construction of Building #1. The top left picture is the concrete form used in producing the side walls of the buildings. They were poured, cured and then tilted vertically and attached to the structure of the metal building. The other three photos shows the view looking to the North inside of the building. The offset in the ceiling line is for the overhead crane rails that can be seen in these photos. At this time, there were no Tube Mills located in this building. Today Building 1 now contains a total of 9 Tube Mills, Welding Stations, Gating Machine, Bundling Area and an area for Truck Loading.

03/27/2024

02/14/2024

In 1964 Hastings Irrigation leased three buildings at the U.S. Naval Ammunition Depot to begin the production of the Vinyl-Clad-Aluminum Pipe. This type of pipe was used as an underground mainline, usually this mainline would run directly from the water source to the point of use, requiring less pipe. These coated pipes were produced in the longest lengths possible, to achieve the greatest economies in both hauling and installation. A standard length of 45 feet was adopted. After studying a number of connecting systems, an agreement was made with A.E. Joslin Machinery and Equipment, Ltd. Of Ontario, Canada, licensing Hastings Irrigation for the patented joining process known as the Joslin Buckle Joint. This was a process of whereby two lengths of pipe and joined by pressing together while forming a leak proof connection.

Due to aluminum availability and demand for above ground aluminum gated pipe, the vinyl-clad aluminum pipe was discontinued in 1972.

Pictured in the photo above from left to right, top to bottom are, Bob Fingeret, unknown in tie, Bob Near, Paul Hohnstein, shown kneeling unknown, Gale Beirow, Paul Garrison, shown sitting on machine unknown.

03/30/2023

Now Hiring!! Welders, Powder Coater, Safety Director, Quality Control. Please come in or visit our website for more information. www.hastingsirrigation.com/careers

01/19/2023

Hastings Irrigation will have a 10am late start today January 19th.

10/17/2022

Now Hiring Truck Drivers! Come in for an application or apply via our website hastingsirrigation.com

06/27/2022

NEW STARTING WAGE AVAILABLE!!!! Apply within or at hastingsirrigation.com/apply