Rinnai Corporation is a Japanese multinational company based in Nagoya, Japan, that manufactures gas appliances, including energy-efficient tankless water heaters, home heating appliances, kitchen appliances, gas clothes dryers and commercial-use equipment such as rice cookers, grillers, fryers and salamanders. Rinnai is Japan’s largest manufacturer of gas kitchen appliances.

History

Formation and early years (1920–1970)

Formally known as Rinnai & Co., the company was co-founded by Kanekichi Hayashi and Hidejiro Naito. The origin of the business started in November 1918, stemming from Hidejiro’s inspiration from the blue flames emitted from an imported oil-burning

imagawayaki is a ''wagashi'' (Japanese dessert) often found at Japanese festivals as well as outside Japan, in countries such as Taiwan and South Korea. It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern and in ...

cooking stove. Using the particular stove as a model, Hidejiro subsequently developed a petroleum-fuelled stove. In 1920, Hidejiro left his job at Nagoya Gas (currently Toho Gas Co., Ltd.) and established Rinnai & Co. together with Kanekichi, a childhood friend who lived in the same dormitory. The company name was coined from characters in the two founder's last names – “Rin” (it’s another way of reading “Hayashi“) and “Nai” (from “Naito“). In 1971, Rinnai & Co. changed their name to Rinnai Corporation. Rinnai began with manufacturing and selling gas appliances such as gas table top stoves, gas ovens and gas water heaters. From 1938 to 1946, the company paused their gas appliances production to manufacture aircraft parts for the army for war effort. The production resumed in 1946 after the head office factory was rebuilt. By the 1950s, Rinnai changed to a limited company and opened up their Tokyo office. From then onwards, Rinnai expanded rapidly by opening up more subsidiaries and factories around the country and increasing the business line-up to produce more gas-related appliances. Today, Rinnai has 15 domestic subsidiaries and manufacturing companies in Japan.

Global expansion (1971–present)

In the 1970's, Rinnai established 10 new subsidiaries across countries such as

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

(1971),

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

(1973),

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

(1974),

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

(1974),

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

(1975),

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(1975) and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(1976). As of 2018, Rinnai has over 20 overseas subsidiaries and manufacturing companies in more countries such as

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. As of 2022, Rinnai has a state of the art manufacturing facility in

Griffin, Georgia Griffin is a city in and the county seat of Spalding County, Georgia, Spalding County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a po ...

Subsidiary

North America

Rinnai America Corporation was founded in 1974. Headquartered in

Peachtree City, Georgia Peachtree City is the largest city in Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 38,244. Peachtree City is located in southern Metro Atlanta. Golf carts are widely used in the city. Over 10,000 hous ...

, the

n subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation has a satellite office in

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

Malaysia

Rinnai (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Rinnai Malaysia) was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The product range of Rinnai Malaysia are mainly home kitchen appliances, including cooker hoods, built-in hobs, table-top stoves, built-in ovens and microwave ovens, BBQ set, and a kitchen sinks and faucets collaboration with Suprema from Australia. Rinnai also sell gas and electric instant water heaters, gas clothes dryer and gas commercial-use cooking appliances, such as stoves and range cookers, rice cookers, grillers, and infrared burners. Rinnai Malaysia developed the first generation Electric Instant Water Heater, Ore Series. Soon after, Rinnai Malaysia developed the second generation, Crystal Series. Both series are also distributed to several South East Asia subsidiaries to be sold in their respective countries.

References

{{Authority control Manufacturing companies based in Nagoya Home appliance manufacturers of Japan Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Multinational companies headquartered in Japan Electronics companies established in 1920 Furnaces Japanese brands Home appliance brands Japanese companies established in 1920 1970s initial public offerings