Our drinking water systems and drinking nipples? Their origin can be found in the poultry house. Since 1971, we have been looking together with livestock farmers, scientists, and supply chain partners for the very best drinking water solutions, that we accordingly produce to the current market's strictest and highest quality standards.
Clean drinking water is of vital importance to the animals in your animal housing unit. And it has a direct impact on their performance. This is what motivates us day in and day out to produce and supply the very best drinking water systems for chickens, pigs, and other animals.
We've been doing this since 1971. We were pioneers in drinking water management and often introduced new innovative drinking water solutions first. Ranging from special drinking nipples to fully automatic drinking systems and sensor-driven flushing systems. Business? For us, it's a lot more than that. We feel connected to the global livestock industry.
The drinking water systems that we supply? They have their origin in the barn. We stood, and stand side-by-side alongside livestock farmers worldwide. With our boots in the litter, listening to their stories and challenges. While always looking for solutions that contribute to better production results and higher animal health. Solutions that we developed in close cooperation with supply chain partners and scientists.
At Impex, we realize that livestock farmers rely on us. Especially when they are not in the housing unit themselves, they need to be sure their animals have access to clean, fresh drinking water. That is why we do not compromise on quality. And we produce all our drinking nipples entirely in-house, in the most modern and innovative drinking nipple factory in the world.
Our products find their way to the animal housing unit through a global network of dealers and distributors. Reliable partners who, like us, consider quality important and who know the agricultural sector in their country through and through. We work closely together to guarantee fast deliveries and excellent service. Today and tomorrow!
In recent decades, Impex has grown into a worldwide leading manufacturer and supplier of drinking nipples and drinking water systems for the poultry and pig farming sector. A position that comes with responsibility. That is why, together with educational institutions and supply chain partners, we are committed to sharing knowledge about drinking water management worldwide, and to training new generations of poultry farmers.
Clean drinking water is vital for your animals. That is why we make no concessions to the quality of our drinking water systems, and we produce our nipples in-house. We do this in the most innovative and sustainable drinking nipple factory in the world. You will find it in Germany, near Frankfurt.
A nipple basically consists of three parts: a body, a top dolly, and a pin. The body is the outside of the nipple. The pin and top dolly go inside it. To produce these components, we use stainless steel, or brass, and PVC of the highest quality. The production of our drinking nipples is done with modern, CNC-controlled turning machines and impact drills. These machines guarantee that the nipples are produced with a maximum deviation of only five-thousandths of a millimeter. Next, specially developed robots assemble the parts of the nipple fully automatically.
The drinking nipples are tested several times during the production and assembly process. After the components are produced, we randomly check, among other things, the radius of the body and the length of the thread. Then, during assembly, we check whether the top dolly and pin fit perfectly in the body. Finally, we take measurements of the assembled nipples and view them under the microscope for a final quality check.
Our engineers continue to develop our existing drinking water systems and develop new drinking water solutions that contribute to the production results of poultry farmers and the health of their animals. In our factory, we have a drinking water laboratory. Here, we conduct research with complete drinking lines, such as looking at differences in water pressure, composition, or temperature on water delivery.
Our factory is built according to the latest sustainability standards. We ensure we keep our footprint as low as possible by, for example, using the warm air released by our machines to heat the factory. We also filter and reuse the oil and recycle all chips and scraps from our production process. This ensures that no valuable raw materials are lost.
With its own branch in the United States, Impex serves poultry farmers on the entire American continent. From the tip of Chile all the way up to Canada. Sandy Foretic, general manager of Impex USA, was there from the very beginning...
“I met Willem Wentzel and Tony Born at a pig show. They were looking for someone who wanted to start an Impex branch in the United States. I was 26 years old and ready for a new challenge. We had a beer together, ended up spending four days together and so the adventure began.”
“In 1987, Impex USA opened its doors. At that time, the poultry industry in the United States was modernising and we were growing along with it, although we had to gain its trust. Poultry farmers were suspicious. They had experienced too many times that a supplier left after a year, leaving them with a system that didn’t work. They often asked how long we were going to stay. I am still here and poultry farmers now know that Impex is a reliable partner.”
“We work with six employees from an office in Gainesville. We also have a representative on the road and 30 to 40 dealers throughout North and South America. In North America, you see mostly large poultry farms, with about six to eight sheds. They are often open, as it doesn’t get as cold here in the winter as it does in the Netherlands. Many sheds are made of wood. After about twenty years, they’re replaced by new sheds. As a result, there is slightly less investment in the equipment and technology.
In South America, there are great differences between countries. Countries like Brazil, Argentina and Chile have a relatively modern poultry sector, while countries like Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela have more small-scale poultry farming. Throughout the South American continent, poultry houses are often located on slopes, which creates challenges for the installation of drinking water systems. Using slope pressure regulators, we can overcome this.”
“Dealers and end-users like the fact that they can do business with an American partner who advises them, keeps stocks and can assemble systems for them. They also rely on us when it comes to imports. They would like to be relieved of this and we do that for them. I have almost daily contact with Impex in the Netherlands to coordinate the deliveries. Once every two or three years I come to Europe for a trade fair, and then of course I also visit my colleagues in Barneveld. Conversely, Richard and I go to trade shows in North and South America together.”
“The funny thing is that I know him from when he was a little boy. Before I started Impex USA, I spent a month in the Netherlands getting to know the products. During this time I stayed with the Wentzel family in Barneveld. There, a warm relationship with the family was formed. I greatly appreciate the trust that the Wentzels have always had in me and the team here. You have to have courage to give this responsibility to someone of 26. That’s something I’ll never forget.”
Impex USA is located in Gainesville, also known as the poultry capital of the world. The city has 34,000 inhabitants, many of whom work for companies in the poultry sector. Gainesville’s affection for chickens? This is evidenced by the fact that in 1961, the city passed a law that prohibited eating chicken with anything other than your bare hands. The poultry industry is equally large in Georgia, the state in which Gainesville is located. Eggs and chicken are the state’s main agricultural products, with an annual estimated value of EUR 2.4 billion.
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Water quality & hygiene
Drinking water systems
Pig drinking water solutions