We  hear the term millennium being bandied about these days as a means of addressing  the 21st century and it is surely almost upon us. However, what does the 21st  century mean to the irrigation industry? What can we expect when it happens?  What are we going to do for success? Will you be a part of making it happen?  Will you be a part of watching it happen? Will you be forced into another industry  altogether? Planning ahead and making informed decisions will determine where  you fit into the entire scheme.

 Irrigation has  been a cottage industry for all of its existence. Visionary entrepreneurs pioneered  ideas and products and sold them into a market. Success was measured more by  the ability to stay in business than to make good products. Between now and  the next five years, as we prepare and enter the 21st century, much of what  we think and know, will change and many will not survive.

Another type of  company, offering a broad line of products and services, will surface to compete.  This new entity will rise out of a consolidation of several existing firms that  have technology and quality, but cannot compete and sustain growth on their  own. Will you be a part of that consolidation? Do you even want to be?

 The retail mass  market must be dealt with and serviced. Some companies have already committed  to this segment and are preparing for a larger presence. What about the traditional  type of commercial distribution? What will happen to it? Will you position yourself  to serve commercial distribution, retail distribution, or both?

 Government intervention  and legislation will drive irrigation sales to levels we cannot imagine. High  demands will be made on products for efficiency, correct application, serviceability  and cost. Water will be expensive and will push the industry for more instead  of less. Are you ready for that eventuality? Can you provide the needed components  of business to survive?

 Competition will  be keener than ever, with the larger firms trying to force the smaller ones  out of business. They will try to do so with broad lines, additional distribution,  accelerated specification effort, attractive prices and good service. Where  do you fit into all of this? What will you do to be an active part of this industry,  given these demanding challenges?

There is a "good  news" side to the changes the irrigation industry will experience. Irrigation  will become a necessity instead of a luxury and the growth will be unlike any  we have ever seen. The agricultural community has always considered irrigation  a necessity, because they could relate the extra and higher quality yields to  the investment of better irrigation practices.

Most golf courses  understand the benefits of irrigation, because without it, their world stops  turning, but you still see minimal systems being installed. The general turf  and landscape industry has been good, but in all the years of its existence,  the growth has been very slow.

Properly engineered  irrigation plans that are paid for will become standard operating procedure  for all those who use irrigation. This will give new importance to irrigation  consultants and they will grow in their number and in their knowledge. They  will demand excellence in manufacturing, distribution, installation and service  and they will get what they want. Finally, in the new millennium all segments  of the irrigation industry have more to give, but will also demand more from  us and it will be incumbent on us to provide what it needs. The rewards will  be great for those who participate.

 The real question  is, Will you be involved? If you are not thinking and planning how to market  for the future, NOW is a very good time to begin.

Editor's Note:  Nick Dvorak is a principle of Growth Marketing Associates. He is a consultant  to the industry.