Rheem Manufacturing Company was established in the mid-1920s when
brothers Richard and Donald Rheem acquired a galvanizing plant in San
Francisco, California. In the 1930′s, Rheem began manufacturing water
heaters, and by 1936 had coast to coast distribution. During the 1940s
and 1950s, the company increased its product line to include space
heating units for homes, oil furnaces and air conditioners.
In 1959, Rheem acquired Ruud Manufacturing Company, a pioneer in the
water heating industry with a well-regarded product line and a
distribution network throughout North America. In subsequent years,
Rheem entered the heating and air conditioning market and expanded in
the late 1960′s and 1970′s with the rapid growth of the central air
conditioning industry. In 1985, the company acquired Raypak, a leading
producer of copper tube boilers used for swimming pool heating and
commercial hot water supply and hydronic heating.
