History
Growing in Capability
 | | 1948 Founded in the Bavarian town of Rehau. Three employees, one extruder. Initial products included shoe welting, garden hoses and automotive components. |
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 | | 1951 Manufacturing of arm straps and sideboards begins for the VW Beetle. |
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 | | 1954 REHAU participates in Germany’s first heart operation using silicone tubes. |
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 | | 1958 Extrusion of first PVC window profile and first magnetic gasket system for refrigerator doors. |
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| | 1959 REHAU expands to North American, opening a sales office in New York City. |
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 | | 1961 North American production begins in Montreal with handrails, stair nosings and cove bases. |
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 | | 1969 Plant producing PVC pipe opens in Prescott, Ontario. |
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| | 1969 North American headquarters is established in Montreal. |
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 | | 1976 With start of production in Winnipeg, Manitoba, REHAU is first to introduce welded vinyl window systems to North America. |
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 | | 1976 Profession of Plastics Technician introduced on REHAU's initiative. |
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 | | 1978 First bumper produced for the VW Passat. |
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 | | 1979 North American headquarters moves to Leesburg, Virginia. |
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 | | 1985 Automated paint line for automotive components is installed at REHAU Germany's Plant Brake. |
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 | | 1986 First underfloor heating system is installed using PEX pipe pioneered by REHAU in 1968. |
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 | | 1988 REHAU's compression sleeve fitting is launched. |
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 | | 1992 Plant in Baie d’Urfé, Quebec, begins production. |
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 | | 1994 REHAU introduces radiant heating and snow melting to the North American market. |
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 | | 1994 First RAU-SIK silicone seal goes into space aboard the Ariane rocket. |
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 | | 1995 REHAU fiber reinforced materials are incorporated in the Airbus family. |
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 | | 1996 Plant in Cullman, Alabama, is built to supply the first Mercedes vehicle produced in North America. |
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 | | 1998 First polymer fender is put into large-scale series production by REHAU for the Audi A2. |
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 | | 2000 Company founder Helmut Wagner transfers control of the company to his sons. Jobst Wagner becomes president of the board of directors and Dr. Veit Wagner becomes vice president. |
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 | | 2003 REHAU introduces innovative RAUPANELTM dry-panel installation system for radiant heating. |
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 | | 2004 Received patent for new universal windshield molding design UniFit® "Pinch and Go." |
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 | | 2004 Medical technology business becomes an independent subsidiary of REHAU under the name RAUMEDIC. |
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 | | 2005 Received patent for windshield molding design that eliminates micro-cracking at the windshield's edge. |
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REHAU Today: Approximately 15,000 employees worldwide, including more than 1,100 in North America.
