Above: Ray Padula, age 3.

Since a young child, Long Island teen Raymond Padula Jr. has always had a passion for learning - a passion for setting high goals for himself and ensuring they were achieved.  As far back as he can remember, the world of big business has always fascinated him - from administration and creating products to marketing and sales.  Also very much enjoying all aspects of landscaping, as a youngster Ray Padula quickly named himself his home's "landscaper," taking over all aspects of landscaping, including mowing the lawn, related tasks, and of course, watering the lawn. 

Interacting with (which would now be competition's) hose-end sprinklers, nozzles, and accessories on a daily basis, young Padula was introduced to the one word associated with such products - frustrating.  Whether it was purchasing the sprinkler just right for your yard, or getting lucky and purchasing a sprinkler that was going to work, his family soon gathered a large collection of sprinklers, nozzles and accessories with a list of problems for each.

After completing a Saturday landscaping routine which ended with watering the lawn, it was then that a new sprinkler was taken out of the box and failed to operate.  Padula found himself thinking that there isn't a true brand of hose-end sprinklers that provides for extremely high quality products, designed and built to last.  "That was going to be me." commented Padula.

Above: At age 14, Ray Padula constructed drawings of what has become one of the company's most successful product launches yet.

After examining currently owned hose-end products, Ray Padula began closely looking at product designs, and quality.  Specifically after examining an oscillating sprinkler, Ray Padula remembers quickly discovering solutions to the problems associated with these currently available products - solutions to problems he could not understand why the competition could not care to discover themselves.

After several weeks of constructing detailed product drawings, his search for prototyping facilities began at age 14.  Quickly realizing, without patents he had no protection of his designs - in an effort to build working prototypes, Ray Padula had several different manufacturers produce different parts that he ultimately put together himself.  After what proved to be successfully developed products, designs began for what is now a product line consisting of over 300 products.  Close to 15 years old, Ray Padula's search for manufacturing facilities began.

Fortunately, Ray Padula had discovered that a previous competitor who no longer produces hose-end products was eliminating their 71,000 square foot manufacturing facility located in China as well as a 52,000 square foot Research and Development Center, in which strategic partnerships began.

Admitting that finding a balance between building a company and a high school career was difficult at times, Padula successfully collaborated with his overseas facilities and began working closely with a team of product engineers in an effort to successfully design what is now the largest, highest quality product line in the Consumer Irrigation Product industry.  After establishing a board acting on Ray's behalf within the overseas facilities, extensive product testing was launched within the Research and Development centers.  Such tests allowed all of those at Ray Padula to extensively determine the problems found within the competition's products, and allowed opportunities for Ray Padula and Ray Padula product engineers to truly develop the most rapidly growing hose end line on the market today.

Above: At age 13, Ray Padula launched his first business venture, Ray's Above and Beyond Automatic Lawn Sprinklers - a full service professional irrigation system installation company.

Following almost two years of development, at age 16 Ray Padula had successfully designed the longest lasting oscillating sprinkler line according to testing at their Research and Development Center.  During this time, it was the realization that you can have the best products, the best designs, the best programs, and more, but your products have to grab consumer attention on the shelf that lead to the determination to design product packaging that grabs and holds consumer attention.  "After all, marketing experts world-wide agree, a consumers decision to purchase a product is made within 10 seconds of seeing its packaging." commented Padula.

Packaging was created, prototypes were constructed, testing was complete - now 17 year old Ray Padula was ready to begin manufacturing.  Padula was determined to provide a product line consisting of clear innovation, which was successfully completed.  With that, the manufacturing partners at Ray Padula were off to work.  Ray Padula then set plans where each individual Ray Padula product is tested before it is placed in its individual packaging, eliminating the high defective rates associated with the competition.  "There is no reason to have a defective product reach the end consumer when a significant number of individuals come in contact with the product before it reaches the shelf - therefore every product from simple shut offs to precise automatic timers are tested." said Padula.  Such testing, manufacturing processes, and designs allow Ray Padula to offer a true, free guaranteed satisfaction policy policy on all of their products, many carrying a full Lifetime Guaranteed Satisfaction Policy.  According to Ray Padula, "You can't expect consumers to trust your brand if the company itself cannot trust their designs without offering such comprehensive satisfaction policies."

Above: Ray Padula.  "I am blessed with the success of our company so far.  I am looking forward to continued, aggressive, successful growth and the opportunity to realize the full potential that the future holds for us."

In the spring of 2005 Ray Padula was ready to release their products.  After distributing thousands of products to consumers, significant reviews were received from the end consumer, many of the reviews exclaiming "Finally, these are the products we need!"

The spring of 2006 marked the beginning of direct sales of Ray Padula watering products here in the U.S. through the company's comprehensive website, www.RayPadula.com, following with a successful launch into retail beginning in Spring 2008.  These sales, and consumer reactions have created a warm and anticipated reaction for products that consumers can clearly see the difference in.

Now 21 years old, Ray Padula is President and Chief Executive Officer of Ray Padula Enterprises., a multi-million dollar international company consisting of manufacturing, distribution and administrative facilities within the United States and countries worldwide.  He is fortunate to be supported by a team of dedicated individuals who highly anticipate the continued, fast pace success of their comprehensive product collection - a collection that illustrates the tireless dedication of a countless number of individual's who have worked toward the success of this brand.

• From the CEO - a message from Ray Padula.

• Corporate Governance - Leading The New Standard into the future.

• RPMedia Center - Ray Padula Press and Media coverage.