Current Ritchie President & CEO, Robert Amundson appreciates well designed and engineered products. Amundson graduated Iowa State University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He started at Ritchie in 2006 as a design engineer, served as V.P., Director of Engineering from 2014 to 2016 then moved on to become COO and became the President/CEO in 2019.
“I am proud to be a part of a 100-year-old company that produces the best product on the market and is American made, right here in Iowa serving the agriculture industry,” said Amundson. “I enjoy managing the development of new and current products and features. I am able to really focus in on product design and engineering optimal performance that meets quality requirements. The current Ritchie valve design remains much the same today as it did in 1921. Materials have changed from brass to injected molded plastics, but the core 1921 design still performs best. This design allows the most flow of water and is a signature feature of all our waterers.
This efficient design and engineering has allowed us to produce a very reliable and durable product for 100 years.
In 2017 Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 hurricane, decimated parts of South-Central Texas and the upper Gulf Coast and caused an estimated $200 million in crop and livestock losses. We had a customer reach out to us and send us a picture of his feedlot completely wiped clean, except for his Ritchie waterer. This is just one example of many that show how durable and reliable Ritchie products are.”