Our philosophy
A COMPANY WITH VISION
A STOVE IS ALWAYS MORE THAN “JUST” A SOURCE OF HEAT
It brings family and friends together, decisively influences the atmosphere of our living spaces and helps to leave everyday life behind us. The cosiness of the fire makes a house a home – and that is precisely our claim. We don’t just build stoves, we create quality of life.
From the very start, we have captivated our customers with stylistic confidence, solid workmanship and passion for details. We combine state-of-the-art and environmentally friendly production technology with individual design. Unique and compelling, emotional and functional.
We love to think stoves one step further and to integrate new ideas. Why shouldn’t it be possible to simply voice-control a stove, ignite it at the touch of a button, combine pellets and wood logs, heat multiple rooms simultaneously or also use it as an oven?
Our stoves combine the primal, passionate and longing characteristics of fire – interpreted in a contemporary light and adapted to our modern lifestyle.
We are proud of our history and products, of our roots and our openness to new things.
Rooted in Austria
In addition to the concentrated technical competence, in Austria we find the emotional connection to wood, nature, tradition and family that is required for the development and production of our stoves.
INTERVIEW WITH KARL RIENER
Karl Riener senior founded the company more than 60 years ago. Today RIKA is one of the most well known stove manufacturers in Europe and an industry leader in quality and innovation. And it is also a genuinely family-owned Austrian company.
RIKA stands for Riener Karl, your father's name and your name too. What else does the name RIKA represent?
It represents a family-owned company and a tradition that has been carried on from one generation to the next; a tradition that engages the whole family. As a brand, RIKA represents the great passion we have for what we do. We stand for active responsibility – towards our customers and our staff, but also responsibility towards the environment and the generations to come.
But of course RIKA is also synonymous with the very best in stoves for heating.
On one level, that is true, but at another level, I always say that we don't just sell stoves – we provide quality of life. Heat is just one aspect. The atmosphere created by a crackling fire, the aroma of the wood, the visual design of the appliance and the knowledge that you are heating in a sustainable and innovative way: all of this makes a RIKA stove so much more than a mere source of heat.
Your slogan is “The fire of Austria”. What do you mean by that exactly?
It has many facets. On the one hand, it clearly indicates where we are from and means a certain level of quality can be expected. On the other hand, fire also represents passion. And in Austria in particular, we have a great passion for home comforts, for design, for craftsmanship, for tradition and family. We love and protect the natural environment; we are inventive. All of these values are also characteristic of RIKA. And let's be honest, traditionally we have a lot of experience and expertise when it comes to cold weather!
You procure your materials and stone from all over the world, but production takes place in Austria. Was that a deliberate strategic decision?
Definitely. Here we can find the concentration of technical expertise required to make a RIKA stove. But of course the emotional component also plays a role. This is our home; this is where our roots are. Every one of our stoves is an expression of our way of thinking, our culture and our values.
About our company
RIKA Innovative Ofentechnik GmbH is one of the leading suppliers of high-quality wood-burning stoves and is market leader for pellet stoves in the German-speaking countries.
RIKA was founded 1951 in Micheldorf in Upper Austria and is run by Karl Riener as a family business in the second generation. The passion for stoves is really about creating quality of life. The claim to continuously set new benchmarks in terms of quality, innovation and design, leads to the continuous further development of stoves in terms of their form and function, resulting in a wide product portfolio of wood-burning, pellet and combi stoves, heating inserts and design fireplaces. With many years of experience in stove manufacturing and product innovations, such as the first pellet stove in Europe, RIKA is regarded as pioneer of the industry. With the “Green Innovation” seal, RIKA has made an undertaking in the interests of sustainability to voluntarily comply with all requirements and be certified under the strictest international regulations. RIKA has received many awards such as the most significant environment award on the global stage: the Energy Globe Award. The number of employees has risen to 300 over the years and the network of dealers spans across many countries.