Office equipment

Founded in 1936, Ricoh Company, Ltd. is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, but has a global presence. With over 108,000 employees worldwide, we specialise in the office and printing markets. We work with organisations everywhere to modernise working conditions and optimise document management efficiency. We also develop imaging tools, industrial products and network system solutions. The story of innovation in our company started with a spark of inspiration.

1936

The roots of our company can be traced back to the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, where in 1927 they decided to share their research and development concepts with industry and society and established Rikagaku Kogyo. In 1936, Rikagaku Kogyo established Riken Kankoshi Co., Ltd. (the name was changed to Riken Optical Co., Ltd. in 1938 and to Ricoh Company, Ltd. in 1963), which was engaged in the manufacture and sale of photographic paper. The company started to manufacture cameras in 1937, and in 1950 it created Japan's first mass-produced camera, which greatly increased its popularity with customers. The company entered the office camera market in 1955 with the introduction of the Ricopy 101.

1970

For Ricoh, the 1970s was a decade of great innovation. In 1974 we introduced the RIFAX 600S, the world's first high-speed office fax machine. In 1977 we created the acronym OA for office automation. In the 1980s, we continued to develop technology and extended our activities to support office productivity with the introduction of computer and word processing product lines, as well as optical archiving systems and laser printers.

1985

In 1987, we created the first office digital multifunction printer, the IMAGIO 320. In 1996, we helped popularise digital models with the introduction of the imagio MF200, a compact and very cost-effective copier. We also developed networkable and colour solutions and transformed the structure of overseas manufacturing with the establishment of Ricoh Asia Industry (Shenzhen) Ltd. In 1995, we further expanded our international sales network with the acquisition of Savin Corporation and Gestetner Holdings PLC. Ricoh never stands still.

2000

In 2002, we were the second Japanese company to participate in the United Nations Global Compact initiative, focusing on both environmental and social responsibility.In 2003, we were the first Asian company to receive the World Environment Center Gold Medal for our international corporate efforts in sustainable development.

In order to strengthen our overseas commercial network and to strengthen our support and solutions areas, we made the following acquisitions: the NRG Group in the UK in 1996; Lanier in 2001 and Savin the following year; Hitachi and IBM's printer division in 2004; Danka Business Systems' European division in 2006; to support our global sales structure, we acquired IKON Office Solutions, Inc. in 2008; in 2010 InfoPrint Solutions became wholly owned by Ricoh.