We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

logo
  • Engineers & Specifiers
  • Contractors & Installers
  • Wholesalers & Distributors
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Subscription
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • PRODUCTS
    • Bath & Kitchen
    • Fire Protection
    • HVAC
    • Hydronics/Radiant
    • Plumbing
    • PVF
    • Tools
  • PROJECTS
    • Commercial
    • Green Building
    • MRO/Retrofit
    • Remodeling
    • Residential
  • HOW TO
    • Design
    • Fire Protection
    • Legal Matters
    • Management
  • BUSINESS
    • Buying Groups
    • Technology
    • Associations
  • CODES & STANDARDS
    • ANSI
    • ASHRAE
    • ASSE
    • Regulations
    • Green Building
    • IAPMO
    • ICC
    • NFPA
  • RESOURCES
    • Media Kit
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Classifieds
    • Digital Editions
    • Behind the Wall
    • Webinars
    • ASPE Live 2022
  • PODCASTS
  • DIGITAL EDITIONS
Home » Made in America
Feature

Made in America

Rinnai America opens tankless water heater manufacturing facility in Griffin, Georgia.

June 3, 2022
Amalia Deligiannis
No Comments
IMG-9437.jpg

Members of the PHCPPROS team travelled to Griffin, Georgia, in April to witness the grand opening of Rinnai America’s new manufacturing site — a 300,000-square-foot facility built to produce the company’s new RE Series tankless water heaters — the first major tankless brand to be produced in the United States.

The facility is the latest part of the Japanese-based company’s plan to expand its presence in North America, an area the company has identified as a major growth market. In 2018, Rinnai America built its headquarters and state-of-the-art innovation and training center in Peachtree City, Georgia. The company then acquired Industrias Mass in 2021 to expand its product line into the Latin American market. The Griffin manufacturing site is the third part of that expansion plan.

“Rinnai’s vision and strategy has always been to manufacture in the local markets,” said Shelley Kiley, vice president of operations at Rinnai America. “The facility in North America enables us to have very short lead times, and to service our customers better with the products that we manufacture.”

The RE Series tankless water heaters will be available in August 2022. After production ramps up for the RE Series, Rinnai has plans to use the plant to produce other Rinnai-branded products.

A-to-Z approach

One-hundred percent of the new noncondensing tankless water heaters are being manufactured at the new facility, which also houses a packing and distribution center and on-site training. 

The production lines assemble all the parts of the RE Series, with quality control measures in place. To ensure the facility adheres to the high manufacturing standards set by Rinnai Japan, many members of Rinnai’s team from Japan are working and training the employees. The initiative is spearheaded by Hidekatsu Naruse, senior operations advisor for Rinnai.

The equipment was designed and built by Rinnai Japan, Kiley noted.

“Technicians and support staff came over from Japan to install the manufacturing equipment,” she added. “They’ve been working to teach us the Rinnai way of manufacturing. It’s really an honor for us to have them.”

During the site tour, attendees viewed the distribution, assembly and fabrication areas. Within the assembly area are the engine, case and main assembly lines; the fabrication lines consist of presses, the heat exchanger assembly, a primary component of the water heater, and the component subassembly lines; and the distribution area, which contains both knockdown component storage and finished goods storage.

Community impact

The manufacturing site added 150 new jobs to the Griffin community, ranging from associate-level positions to managers for the local community, mostly within the manufacturing and distribution sectors. Rinnai is also actively recruiting for more than 10 leadership positions ranging from group leaders to a new area manager, as well as several other maintenance, safety, engineering, human resources and IT roles. The company will be employing about 400 team members by the end of the year.  

But it’s not just about the hiring for Rinnai, it’s also about the hands-on training of its new employees. Rinnai partnered with the Southern Crescent Technical College in Georgia to train many of their employees, who are right out of high school or are young adults new to the workforce. In addition, a training area was built right on the training floor. 

“We put people first at Rinnai,” said Frank Windsor, president, Rinnai America. “As we’ve hired new talent, Rinnai has invested over 37,000 hours of training to make sure our new employees are safe and knowledgeable about the manufacturing process. And to Rinnai, the community is just as important. By creating new jobs and putting money back into the local economy, we’re showcasing our commitment to creating a healthier way of living for our employees, partners and community.”

Check out a video of Rinnai’s manufacturing facility on phcppros.com at: bit.ly/3NiOOuw l

Contractors & Installers Hydronics/Radiant Plumbing
  • Related Articles

    ‘Made in America’ Is a Must for Country’s Future

    Klein Tools’ US Products Featured at White House’s ‘Made in America’ Showcase

    Mansfield Plumbing celebrates "Made in the USA Day"

  • Related Products

    CEU Webinar

    Directory Listing - Premium

  • Related Events

    Ninth Annual Celebrating Women in the Mechanical Trade Industry Luncheon

  • Related Directories

    Rinnai

Amalia 2022
Amalia Deligiannis

Emerging Water Technology Symposium: Safety and Resiliency

More from this author
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular

  • NIBCO Expands Industry Presence with Acquisition of Matco-Norca

  • Stories From the Mechanical Room Podcast: The Math Never Lies ft. Taco Comfort Solutions' John Barba

  • Newly Released Scorecard Ranks States for Water Efficiency and Sustainability Policies

  • New 3M Docuseries Showcases Need for Diverse and Meaningful Trade Careers

Featured Video

Flow aide

JC Whitlam Flow Aide Biodegradable System Descaler Kit

Industry Events

  • 04Feb

    ASHRAE Winter Conference

    Atlanta, GA
  • 05Feb

    IMARK Plumbing Annual Meeting

    Orlando, FL
  • 06Feb

    2023 AHR Expo

    Atlanta, GA
More Events

Subscribe to our newsletters & stay updated

Subscribe & Learn More

  • Tw02 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Pe02 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Phc02 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Es 2022
    Learn More
Subscribe

More from PHCP Pros

  • Editorial Team
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise

Follow Us

© 2023 All Rights Reserved

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development | ePublishing