Rinnai
A Japanese multinational manufacturer of gas appliances, water heaters, heating systems, kitchen equipment, and commercial cooking appliances.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Rinnai Corporation is a Japanese multinational manufacturer headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. Its business is centered on gas-powered and related residential and commercial appliances, with major product categories including tankless water heaters, domestic heating equipment, gas stoves, ovens, dryers, and commercial cooking systems. The company is particularly associated with energy-efficient continuous-flow water heaters and gas kitchen appliances. The business traces its origins to an appliance-development effort begun in 1918. Hidejiro Naito, then working at Nagoya Gas, was inspired by the blue flame of an imported petroleum-fuelled stove used for cooking imagawayaki. He developed a petroleum stove and, in 1920, left his employment to establish Rinnai & Co. with his childhood acquaintance Kanekichi Hayashi. The name Rinnai was formed from readings associated with the founders’ surnames: “Rin” from Hayashi and “Nai” from Naito. Rinnai initially produced and sold gas-related household equipment such as tabletop stoves, gas ovens, and water heaters. Its manufacturing activity was interrupted between 1938 and 1946, when the company produced aircraft parts for the Japanese war effort. After the head-office factory was rebuilt, appliance production resumed in 1946. During the postwar decades, Rinnai expanded its domestic infrastructure, opened a Tokyo office, established additional subsidiaries and factories, and broadened its range of gas appliances. In 1971, the company adopted the name Rinnai Corporation. The same decade marked a major internationalization phase. Rinnai established or expanded operations in Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, North America, New Zealand, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. By 2018, its international network included more than 20 overseas subsidiaries and manufacturing companies, alongside a domestic structure comprising numerous Japanese subsidiaries and manufacturing operations. Its North American business operates through Rinnai America Corporation, founded in 1974, while Rinnai Malaysia has developed a broad kitchen and water-heating portfolio for Southeast Asian markets. Rinnai’s offerings span both household and commercial applications. Residential products include continuous-flow gas water heaters, home-heating equipment, built-in and tabletop cooking appliances, ovens, hoods, gas clothes dryers, and selected electric water heaters. Commercial equipment includes rice cookers, grillers, fryers, salamanders, range cookers, and other gas cooking systems. The company’s manufacturing and distribution footprint includes operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and other international markets. A modern manufacturing facility in Griffin, Georgia, supports its North American activities. Rinnai is commonly positioned as a technology-led, quality-oriented appliance manufacturer rather than a low-cost generalist. Its principal differentiation is the integration of gas combustion, heat-exchange, hot-water, and cooking technologies into compact appliances designed for household and professional use. In Japan, it is described as the country’s largest manufacturer of gas kitchen appliances. The company remains active as a publicly listed Japanese corporation with a global operating presence.
History
Rinnai’s origins lie in the development of petroleum-fuelled cooking equipment in Japan during the late 1910s. Hidejiro Naito, who worked for Nagoya Gas, became interested in the blue flame produced by an imported oil-burning imagawayaki stove. He used the appliance as a model for his own development work and created a petroleum stove. In November 1918, this activity provided the starting point for the business that later became Rinnai. In 1920, Naito left Nagoya Gas and founded Rinnai & Co. with Kanekichi Hayashi, a childhood friend who had lived in the same dormitory. The company’s name combined readings associated with the founders’ family names. Rinnai began as a manufacturer and seller of gas-related household appliances, including tabletop stoves, gas ovens, and water heaters. These products placed the company in the expanding Japanese market for modern domestic fuel and cooking equipment. From 1938 through 1946, Rinnai suspended its ordinary gas-appliance production to manufacture aircraft parts for the Japanese military effort. Appliance manufacturing restarted in 1946 after the head-office factory had been rebuilt. In the postwar period, the company returned to its original product field and entered a period of domestic expansion. It became a limited company during the 1950s, opened a Tokyo office, and progressively established additional subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities across Japan. The company broadened its product range as gas use expanded in Japanese households and commercial kitchens. In addition to cooking appliances and water heaters, Rinnai developed further gas-related equipment and heating products. Its domestic network eventually included multiple subsidiaries and manufacturing companies, giving it a substantial production and distribution base in Japan. A major structural and international turning point came in 1971, when Rinnai & Co. changed its name to Rinnai Corporation. During the 1970s, the company established overseas subsidiaries or operations in Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, North America, New Zealand, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. Rinnai America Corporation was founded in 1974, and Rinnai Malaysia was established in 1973. These operations helped the business adapt its product mix to different fuel systems, housing patterns, regulatory environments, and cooking traditions. Rinnai’s international network continued to expand after the initial 1970s push. By 2018, the company had more than 20 overseas subsidiaries and manufacturing companies, including operations or affiliated businesses in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its North American operations are headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia, with a satellite office in Nevada; the company also operates a manufacturing facility in Griffin, Georgia. Regional subsidiaries have developed market-specific portfolios. Rinnai Malaysia, for example, sells cooker hoods, built-in hobs, tabletop stoves, built-in ovens, microwave ovens, barbecue equipment, water heaters, gas clothes dryers, and commercial cooking appliances. It also developed the Ore and Crystal generations of electric instant water heaters, which were distributed through several Southeast Asian subsidiaries. The Malaysian operation has additionally offered kitchen sinks and faucets through a collaboration with Australia’s Suprema. Today, Rinnai’s business combines residential and commercial appliances. Its principal technologies include gas combustion, continuous-flow water heating, domestic heating, cooking, drying, and commercial food preparation. The company is especially associated with tankless water heaters and gas kitchen equipment, and it is described as Japan’s largest manufacturer of gas kitchen appliances. Its global operating model combines Japanese corporate and engineering roots with regional subsidiaries, manufacturing sites, and locally tailored product ranges.
- 2022
North American manufacturing capability
[1]Rinnai had a modern manufacturing facility in Griffin, Georgia, supporting its North American activities.
- 2018
Broad international subsidiary network
[1]By this year, Rinnai had more than 20 overseas subsidiaries and manufacturing companies across a range of markets.
- 1976
Expansion into the United Kingdom
[1]Rinnai established a United Kingdom operation, further extending its international presence.
- 1975
Expansion into New Zealand and Brazil
[1]Rinnai established overseas operations in New Zealand and Brazil during its 1970s internationalization program.
- 1974
North American subsidiary is founded
[1]Rinnai America Corporation was founded as part of the company’s overseas expansion.
- 1973
Rinnai Malaysia is established
[1]Rinnai (M) Sdn. Bhd. was founded to serve the Malaysian market and later developed a broad portfolio of kitchen, water-heating, drying, and commercial cooking products.
- 1971
Corporate renaming and international expansion
[1]Rinnai & Co. changed its name to Rinnai Corporation. The company also established an Australian subsidiary during the decade’s international expansion.
- 1950
Postwar domestic expansion
[1]During the 1950s, Rinnai became a limited company, opened a Tokyo office, and expanded its domestic subsidiaries, factories, and product range.
- 1946
Appliance manufacturing resumes
[1]After rebuilding its head-office factory, Rinnai resumed production of gas appliances.
- 1938
Production shifts to aircraft parts
[1]Rinnai suspended gas-appliance production and manufactured aircraft parts for the Japanese military effort.
Products and positioning
Technology-led, quality-oriented, mid-to-premium household and commercial appliance manufacturer focused on gas cooking, continuous-flow water heating, and energy-efficient thermal equipment.
Water heating
Tankless gas water heaters
Continuous-flow gas water heaters are among Rinnai’s best-known products. Unlike storage systems, they heat water as it is needed, making compact installation and energy efficiency central to the category. Rinnai markets these systems for residential applications and has made water-heating technology a major part of its international business.
Cooking appliances
Gas kitchen appliances
Rinnai manufactures a broad range of gas kitchen equipment, including tabletop stoves, built-in hobs, cooktops, ovens, cooker hoods, and range cookers. The company is identified in Japan as the country’s largest manufacturer of gas kitchen appliances, while overseas subsidiaries adapt the range to local household and commercial-kitchen requirements.
Heating
Home heating appliances
Residential heating equipment forms part of Rinnai’s broader thermal-appliance portfolio. These products use the company’s experience in gas combustion and heat management to provide space-heating solutions in selected markets.
Laundry appliances
Gas clothes dryers
Rinnai produces gas clothes dryers for selected markets. They extend the brand beyond cooking and water heating while retaining its focus on gas-powered household appliances and thermal efficiency.
Commercial food-service equipment
Commercial cooking equipment
The commercial range includes rice cookers, grillers, fryers, salamanders, stoves, range cookers, and infrared burners. These products serve professional kitchens and food-service businesses, complementing Rinnai’s residential appliance operations.
Water heating
Electric instant water heaters
Rinnai Malaysia developed electric instant water heaters for Southeast Asian markets. The first Ore series was followed by the Crystal series, and both product generations were distributed through several regional subsidiaries.
Kitchen appliances
Microwave ovens and kitchen accessories
Regional portfolios, particularly in Malaysia, include microwave ovens, cooker hoods, kitchen sinks, and faucets in addition to core gas appliances. These products broaden Rinnai’s kitchen proposition and allow local subsidiaries to offer more complete kitchen solutions.
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