History of Rengo

The Story of Rengo

2000-The Packaging Solutions Company

2000 Made Marusan Paper Mfg. Co., Ltd. a subsidiary
2006 Bolstered energy conservation equipment, including biomass combustion power generation systems at the Yashio Mill
2007 Merged the Katsushika and Kawasaki Plants, as the base plant in eastern Japan for folding carton
2008 Merged the Kyoto and Katsura plants, creating the company's first integrated corrugated box and folding carton plant
2009 Rengo's 100th anniversary
2009 Made Nihon Matai Co., Ltd. a subsidiary, and entered into the heavy duty packaging field
  • With Rengo's acquisition of Settsu Corporation, the paperboard and corrugated industry began to undergo reformation and establish a production system in line with demand. Meanwhile, increasing globalization of the economy as we enter the new century and greater interest in environmental protection have resulted in calls for packaging that has a reduced impact on the environment in the form of conserving resources and energy. Furthermore, people's lifestyles have become increasingly diversified and sophisticated due to the growth, particularly in Japan, of e-commerce and package delivery services, and the dramatic expansion of the Internet, and there is also a demand for packaging with new functions to meet the demands for food safety and hygiene.

    In such an environment, the Rengo Group has established systems that are able to satisfy the various needs of its customers with diverse packaging solutions through the synergistic effects of each of the Group companies’ wide range of products including folding cartons, flexible packaging, and other consumer packaging, in addition to utilizing its robust integrated production system covering everything from paperboard to corrugated packaging, its widespread domestic and overseas network, and the packaging technology it has developed over the years.

    Rengo's roots are firmly founded in corrugated board, a material which, given the fact that its principal raw material is recovered paper, is ideal for manufacturing eco-friendly, recyclable packaging. Under the motto “Kind to People and the Environment,” Rengo has worked hard to develop easy-to-use packaging, including that which incorporates universal design, as well as efficient packaging that reduces waste throughout the entire supply chain. Furthermore, Rengo has also been enhancing its efforts to conserve resources and energy out of consideration for the environment by, for example, pouring its efforts into environmental preservation in the production process through the introduction of power generation systems that utilize biomass and solar power energy (Photos 26, 27, and 28), as well as by actively promoting C-flute corrugated board that is 4 mm thick instead of A-flute corrugated board with a thickness of 5 mm. The company also believes that establishing a complete recycling system in the three areas of recovered paper, paperboard, and corrugated board will facilitate the development of the corrugated packaging and other related packaging industries, and also contribute to protecting the global environment.

    • Photo26: Biomass incineration power plant (Yashio Mill)
      Photo 26: Biomass incineration power plant (Yashio Mill)
    • Photo27:Solar power system (Shin-Kyoto plant)
      Photo 27: Photovoltaic power generation system (Shin-Kyoto Plant)
    • Photo28:Boiler fuel LNG (Tonegawa Division)
      Photo 28: Boiler fuel LNG (Tonegawa Division)
    • Photo29:New paper mill, a joint venture in Vietnam
      Photo 29: New paper mill, a joint venture in Vietnam

    April 2009 marks the 100th anniversary of the Rengo Group's inception.
    In April 2009—which marked Rengo's 100th anniversary—Nihon Matai Co., Ltd. became one of the subsidiaries. A major company that deals with comprehensive containers and packaging, Nihon Matai Co., Ltd.'s main businesses are resin processing and heavy duty packaging, which grew from jute sacks for heavy objects. Rengo has added heavy duty packaging as a new core business field and further enhanced its packaging lineup. Rengo's management system (known as the “Hexagon”), focuses on its six core business fields of paperboard, corrugated packaging, folding cartons, flexible packaging, heavy duty packaging, and overseas business, and was created in this way.

    Also in 2009, Vina Kraft Paper Co., Ltd.'s containerboard mill in Vietnam began operations as a new jointly managed paper mill. Corrugated packaging company New Asia Industries Co., Ltd. of Vietnam also became affiliated with Rengo the following year in 2010, establishing an integrated production system for paperboard and corrugated board in the rapidly expanding country of Vietnam and strengthening the Group's position as an important strategic base for overseas business.