Valmont Industries Inc
A Nebraska-based maker of the poles, towers and irrigation equipment that keep cities and farms running, Valmont builds utility poles, street lights and telecom towers alongside its signature center-pivot irrigation systems, used by farmers around the world. It began in 1946 when Marine veteran Robert Daugherty used his savings to buy a small farm-machinery shop near Valley, Nebraska, and in 1954 acquired the patent for a brand-new circular watering invention. The company even takes its name from the neighboring towns of Valley and Fremont, blending the two.