Netafim Global Operations: From Global Scale to Field-Level Impact

“For farmers, operational excellence ultimately means reliability: the right solution, closer to the market, delivered with greater confidence.”

In recent years, global companies have had to rethink many things they once took for granted. Supply chains have been shaken by COVID-19, global conflicts, regional instability, changing tax policies, transportation disruptions, and sharp fluctuations in sea and air freight costs.

For a company like Netafim, these changes are not theoretical. They affect our ability to manufacture, supply, and respond to customers across the world.

Every global operations decision sits between two forces. On one hand, we want to be as close as possible to our customers. On the other hand, we need to operate from locations that make sense in terms of cost, capability, infrastructure, labor, taxation, and risk.

Finding the right balance between these two forces has become one of the most important strategic questions we face.  The goal is not simply to produce more. The goal is to build a network that is resilient, flexible, competitive, and close enough to the market to respond quickly when customer needs or external conditions change.

“Competition is not only a pressure. It is also a force that keeps us moving, improving, and challenging ourselves.”

At the same time, our market is becoming more competitive. In some categories, irrigation products are becoming more commoditized. Competitors are closing gaps, especially on price, and that pushes everyone to move faster.

For Netafim, this reality sharpens our focus. In some product categories, we continue to differentiate through technology, agronomic value, and premium performance. In others, we need to be efficient, cost-conscious, and precise in the way we design, manufacture, and supply.

This is not only a challenge. It is also a positive force. Competition pushes us to improve. It pushes us to innovate, to become more efficient, and to make smarter decisions about which products, technologies, and manufacturing models are right for each market.

The question is always the same: how do we keep creating value for customers while operating in a world that is changing all the time?

“The stronger our global network becomes, the more flexible and resilient we can be for our customers.”

The new Netafim plant in Hermosillo, Mexico, is a strong example of how this thinking becomes reality.

We chose Hermosillo because we needed more capacity. North America market is growing, and our operational footprint in the region needs to become more flexible, more balanced, and closer to where demand is developing.

When we evaluated where to invest, we looked at several factors: transportation routes, proximity to customers, tax advantages, labor availability, local costs, industrial infrastructure, and the ability to serve the region more effectively. Hermosillo offered the right combination.

With three manufacturing locations across North America, we can now create a stronger and more flexible supply network. For some customers, this can mean a meaningful reduction in lead time. In certain cases, delivery time can be reduced significantly, even by half. For others, the value comes through greater flexibility when demand peaks, or when one site needs support from another.

It also gives us more room to respond to changes in tariffs, transportation costs, or regional constraints. If conditions change, we have more options. That flexibility is becoming increasingly important.

“When we build a new plant, we are not only building for today. We are building a platform for the next 10 or 20 years.”

That was the mindset behind Hermosillo. From the first day, the plant was designed to include advanced technologies and to be ready for future innovation.

One example is the use of automated guided vehicles, or AGVs. These systems can take products from the end of the production line and support the packaging process. In a global operation with many extrusion lines running around the clock, this type of automation can have a major impact.

We tested and learned from similar technologies in other locations, including Turkey and China. Hermosillo is the first Netafim plant where this level of automation is being implemented from the beginning as part of the plant design.

This matters because automation is not only about reducing manual work. It is about improving consistency, efficiency, safety, and scalability. It allows us to build plants that are ready for the future, not only for the current moment.

We are also looking at innovation beyond the factory floor. One important area is the use of data and AI-based optimization in supply decisions. In a global network with multiple plants, changing transportation costs, different tax considerations, and alternative shipping routes, decisions are becoming more dynamic.

In the future, we want to be able to evaluate these variables continuously and make smarter decisions about where to produce, how to ship, and how to serve customers in the most efficient way.

“For me, sustainability in operations is not a statement. It is a set of daily decisions.” 

Sustainability has been part of Netafim’s DNA from the beginning. Our solutions help farmers use water, nutrients, energy, and other resources more efficiently. But sustainability also needs to live inside our operations.

For me, sustainability in operations is not a slogan. It is a set of daily decisions: how we reduce waste, recycle more, use raw materials responsibly, choose transportation routes, and build plants that operate more efficiently.

In recent years, Netafim has moved almost all of its plants toward zero waste to landfill standards. We have also strengthened our recycling capabilities, especially in North America, where we can collect used dripline from the field, clean it, process it, and return recycled material into production. In some products, we are able to use more than 40 or 50 percent recycled raw material. This creates both environmental and business value, helping us reduce waste while strengthening our competitiveness and resilience.

We are also looking more closely at carbon footprint, including indirect impacts such as transportation. Over time, what may seem optional today will become a requirement and we want to be ready.

“Grow More with Less is not only a promise to farmers. It is also the mindset we bring into our operations.”

My own path at Netafim began on the production floor. I worked with production lines, setups, cleaning, shifts, and the day-to-day reality of manufacturing. That experience still shapes the way I lead.

It gives me the ability to move between the strategic picture and the operational detail. Sometimes, the detail is where the real answer is found. When you understand how things work on the floor, it helps you ask better questions, identify the root of a problem more quickly, and make more informed decisions.

It also helps when taking risks. In operations, not every decision is obvious. Sometimes you need to move fast. Sometimes you need to decide where to invest, where to push, and where to be more careful. Knowing the operational reality from the inside gives you another anchor for those decisions.

But my personal story also says something about Netafim. This is a company that gives people opportunities to grow. Many people in our operations organization have been with Netafim for 15, 20, 25, or even 30 years. They carry deep knowledge, strong commitment, and a real drive to keep improving.

That combination of experience and innovation is one of our greatest strengths. Our role at Global Operations of Netafim is to turn this knowledge, experience, and innovation into reliable execution. Because Grow More with Less only creates impact when our solutions reach the field, support farmers, and help them grow with greater confidence.