Ricoh History.

21st Century

• Ricoh's brand is recognized for raising the potential of business communication to new heights with innovative, next generation product design and an unwavering dedication to environmental preservation.
• Ricoh has also received the Council on Economic Priorities Environmental Stewardship Award for its commitment to the environment, and for the past three consecutive years Ricoh has been awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest industry honour - the 2000 Energy Star Imaging Equipment Partner of the Year Award.
• Ricoh is also the only organization in the industry to win the Deming Prize twice - manufacturing's highest award for Quality Control and Design.

1999

• Ricoh launches the new "AP" series of black & white and colour printers and tandem copying with speeds of 130 cpm with the Aficio 550/650 series.

1998

• Ricoh announces the launch of Intra.doc! Management System. Ricoh Canada is the exclusive distributor of Intra.doc! MS in Canada. In 2001 Ricoh would become the exclusive distributor of Xpedio Content Management products - the next generation of Intra.doc!

1997

• Ricoh Canada acquires the largest Print-On-Demand company in Canada and introduces Ricoh Document Management (RDM).
• Ricoh's Canadian operation formally merges with Gestetner Canada, Savin Canada and Ricoh Canada operations and officially launches new name change to Ricoh Canada Inc.
• The all new Aficio Digital Technology in both black and white and colour copier line is introduced and captures the #1 market position for digital copier placements in North America and #1 position overall in Europe.
• A strategic partnership is formed with Axis Communications.
• Ricoh develops the world's first CD-ReWritable drive.

1996

• Ricoh begins recycling plain-paper toner magazines and begins production of world's first CD-ReWritable media.

1995

• Ricoh Corporation acquires the remainder of the Gestetner Corporation.

1993

• Ricoh receives the inaugural Queen's Award for environmental achievement.
• The Intelligent Fax System, a multi-functional PC connected fax product is demonstrated.
• Ricoh innovates the Paper Recycling System to remove dry toner from paper to allow for reuse up to 10 times.

1992

• Ricoh acquires 25% of Gestetner Corporation to solidify global distribution.

1991

• Ricoh unveils the Imagio MD530, a digital multi-functional intelligent copier.
• ISO 9000 certification process begins.

1990

• Ricoh begins to introduce products that are aimed at creating the digital office.
• Ricoh introduces the ARTAGE 8000, the world's fastest digital full colour copier.

1989

• Ricoh introduces the world's first G4 digital fax machine.

1987

• Ricoh launches the world's first digital copiers, the Imagio series of digital intelligent systems.

1985

• Ricoh introduces the Ricoh 5000 colour copier. 1983 Ricoh launches the Ricoh 4120 Laser Printer and RiFax 1300 plain paper fax.

1982

• Ricoh introduces the Ricopy FT4060, the first dry copier to hail the Ricoh brand name.

1980

• Ricoh's success with office automation equipment begins to grow at a phenomenal rate through high quality manufacturing standards and product innovations.

1978

• Ricoh begins worldwide copiers sales under its own brand name to augment OEM sales. The Ricoh name became synonymous with quality.

1976

• Ricoh introduces the world's first digital facsimile machine, the RiFax 600s.

1975

• Ricoh launches the RiCopy DT 1200, a plain paper copier that became the world's top selling model. Ricoh is awarded the prestigious Deming Prize for excellence in quality control - a first in the office automation industry.

1970s

• Ricoh coins the phrase "Office Automation" and implemented Total Quality Control to move ahead of its competitors despite a worldwide manufacturing and plants recession. The company began establishing more subsidiaries worldwide.

1960s

• Ricoh further expands its business to include the manufacturing of a wide range of office machines including reprographic and data processing equipment and retrieval systems.

1955

• Introduction of the RiCopy 101 Diazo copier.

1940-1950

• Ricoh broadens its focus to include the manufacturing of optical devices, equipment and cameras.

1936

• Ricoh Corporation was founded - dedicated to the making and marketing of sensitized paper.