Rich in History and Innovation

Superior is the collective of three highly regarded irrigation and manufacturing companies, Buckner, Superior Controls, and Storm Manufacturing Group. Our history goes back over a century to when Buckner was first founded in Fresno, California in 1912. Since then we have been innovators in the irrigation industry and integral to the maintenance and beautification of landscapes across America.

In 1912, Buckner was founded by William A. Buckner with the introduction of a patented slow-rotation sprinkler. Buckner continued to revolutionize the industry with new products such as the first hose-less irrigation system, the quick coupler valve, the hose swivel, and the sand-resistant bearing and cam-drive sprinkler. The famous Pebble Beach Golf Course was an early site of Buckner’s innovative automated irrigation systems. In 1998 Buckner became a part Of the Storm Manufacturing Group.

In 1949, the Superior Controls Company was founded in Los Angeles, California by Allen and Powell Greenland. Their claim to fame was the introduction of the first adapter designed to convert a manual valve to automatic. They also introduced the first diaphragm-operated remote-control valve to the irrigation industry. In 2006 Superior Controls became part of the Storm Manufacturing Group.

The history of the Storm Manufacturing Group dates back to the early stages of the irrigation industry. Walter Storm purchased a brass foundry in Los Angeles, California in 1932, and his foundry eventually became a key supplier to many of the major companies in the irrigation industry. In addition to supplying his competitors, Walter’s company, Western Brass Works, became a leading innovator in agricultural irrigation, receiving numerous patents for their unique technological advancements.

Over the years, Storm has manufactured quality products under the brand names of Western Brass Works, Superior Controls, Buckner, West Ag, Imperial, and Western Raintrol. These businesses evolved to become the Storm Manufacturing Group. Now consolidated under the Superior brand, we continue to represent the performance, dependability, reliability, innovation, and efficiency that have been industry standards for more than a century.