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.
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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.
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