Corporate History
Founded in 1920 by Hidejiro Naito and Kanekichi Hayashi quickly established a tradition of constant improvement. They started manufacturing and selling pressurized oil cooking stoves in Japan. By the early 1930s, they expanded into gas appliances, including cooking stoves, ranges and space heaters; and since 1964 Rinnai has been efficiently heating water.
Fast Fact: Today, more than 30 million Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters have been installed worldwide, including over 2 million in North America.
1920 | The company is incorporated as Rinnai & Co. by founders Hidejiro Naito and Kanekichi Hayashi.
1923 | Deliveries of gas appliances, including tabletop stoves, ranges, gas ovens, and water heaters, to Japanese gas utilities nationwide, as well as exports, begin.
1938 | Manufacturing of aircraft parts takes place with the factory coming under military supervision.
1940 | The company changes its name to "Rinnai Aircraft Parts Manufacturing."
1947 | Production of gas and kerosene appliances resumes at the rebuilt Head Office factory.
1950 | The company is reorganized as a joint stock company and renamed Rinnai Seisakusho.
1954 | The Tokyo Sales Office (now the Kanto Branch) opens.
1956 | The Osaka Sales Office (now the Kansai Branch) opens.
1957 | The Aichi Factory (now the Chubu Branch) opens.
The company forms a technology tie-up with German company Schwank GmbH to manufacture and sell gas infrared burners and to develop heaters and cooking appliances that use them.
1960 | The lnba Factory (later the Asahi Factory) opens.
1961 | The Fukuoka Sales Office (now the Kyushu Branch) opens.
1963 | The Sendai Satelite Office (now the Tohoku Branch) and the Sapporo Satelite Office (now the Hokkaido Sales Office) open.
1964 | The Oguchi Factory opens.
1967 | The Technology Development Center opens.
1968 | The Niigata Satelite Office (now the Niigata Sales Office) opens.
1969 | The Nagoya Sales Office (now the Chubu Branch) opens.
1970 | Rinnai Taiwan Corporation is established.
Business partnership with Yanagisawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Investment in Yamauchi Yoko (now RT Engineering Co., Ltd.)
1971 | The name changes to Rinnai Corporation.
RB Controls Co., Ltd., and Rinnai Australia Pty. Ltd. are established.
1972 | The company receives the Ota Award from the Japan Gas Association for its gas high-speed convection oven.
1973 | Rinnai (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. is established.
1974 | Rinnai Korea Corporation and Rinnai America Corporation are established.
1975 | Rinnai New Zealand Ltd. and Equipamentos NGK-Rinnai Ltda. are established.
1976 | Rinnai Industries (UK), Ltd. is established.
1979 | The company is listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange.
Rinnai Precision Co., Ltd. is established and the Seto Factory opens.
1981 | Japan Ceramics Co., Ltd. is established.
Business partnership with lsomura Kiki (now Rinnai Technica Co., Ltd.)
1982 | The company is listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
1983 | The Hiroshima Satelite Office (now the Chugoku Sales Office) opens.
The company is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange.
1984 | The Takamatsu Satelite Office (now the Shikoku Sales Office) opens.
1985 | The company receives the Ota Prize from Japan Gas Association for development of a water boiler equipped with a safety mechanism to prevent incomplete combustion.
1986 | The company receives the Excellent Technology Prize from the Japan Gas Association as well as the first Chunichi Industrial Technology Award for the development of an ultracompact water heater.
1988 | P.T. Rinnai Indonesia is established.
The Hong Kong Representative Office opens.
1990 | The Tsukuba Research Center (now Tsukuba Training Center) opens.
Rinnai (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Noto Tech Co., Ltd. are established.
1991 | Rinnai Singapore Pte. Ltd. is established.
1993 | Shanghai Rinnai Co., Ltd. is established.
1994 | The new Headquarters building is completed.
1995 | The company receives ISO 9001 certification for all domestic factories.
1996 | Rinnai Holdings (Pacific) Pte Ltd. is established in Singapore.
The company receives Testing Facility Acceptance from International Approval Services (IAS).
1998 | Rinnai Hong Kong Ltd. and Rinnai Vietnam Co., Ltd. are established.
1999 | Business partnership with Gastar Co., Ltd.
RG Co., Ltd. is established.
2000 | The company receives the Ministry of International Trade and Industry's Energy Conservation Award for its highly efficient condensing gas water heaters.
2001 | The company receives the Technology Prize from the Japan Gas Association for its highly efficient condensing gas water heaters.
2003 | The company receives ISO 14001 certification for all domestic factories.
The company receives the Energy Conservation Grand Prize (Chairman's Prize) from the Energy Conservation Center for its glass-top stoves with inner flame burners.
2004 | Guangzhou Rinnai Gas and Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. is established.
2005 | The company receives the Technology Prize from the Japan Gas Association for its Eco-Jozu condensing dual water heater/space heaters.
2006 | RBS Thermo Technology Co., Ltd. is established.
The company receives the Technology Prize from the Japan Gas Association for its bathroom heater/dryer with mist sauna function.
2008 | Rinnai Italia S.r.l. is established, and the Integrated Logistics Center opens.
Rinnai gas tankless water heater receives the Super Nova Star Award (an energy-saving award) from the Alliance to Save Energy in the United States.
2009 | Rinnai Canada Holdings Ltd. is established.
2010 | The Production and Technology Development Center opens.
2011 | The West Japan Customer Center opens.
2013 | The Akatsuki Factory opens.
The Rinnai Parts Center opens following business integration.
2014 | The company receives the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Energy Conservation Award for ECO ONE, a hybrid water heater with heating system.
The company's hybrid water heater with heating system for Hokkaido receives the Kitaguni Energy Conservation and New Energy Grand Prize.
2015 | Brivis Climate Systems Pty Ltd in Australia is acquired.
The Dubai Representative Office opens.
2016 | Gastar Co., Ltd. becomes a consolidated subsidiary.
2018 | The East Japan Logistics Center opens.
2019 | Our brand promise is established, and the Rinnai logo is updated.
2021 | Industrias MASS in Mexico is acquired.
The company receives the Energy Conservation Center, Japan Chairman's Award for a cold climate type hybrid water heater with cooling and heating system.
2022 | The company receives the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Commissioner's Award for ECO ONE X5, a hybrid water heater with heating system.
2024 | Smart Energy Group in Australia is acquired.