The founder of Rain Spa, Eng. Vittorio Stiatti, was born into a family of mechanical entrepreneurs in 1936, in the city of Livorno.
His father, in fact, started a very successful company in the 1930s, manufacturing mechanical calculating machines and patenting a number of reverse mechanism devices.
The company’s name was S.I.M.A.S (Società Italiana Macchine Aziendali Stiatti) and the product was successful throughout Italy and in most European countries, also reaching major Asian markets such as Japan and Turkey.
The founder of Rain Spa, Eng. Vittorio Stiatti, was born into a family of mechanical entrepreneurs in 1936, in the city of Livorno.
His father, in fact, started a very successful company in the 1930s, manufacturing mechanical calculating machines and patenting a number of reverse mechanism devices.
The company’s name was S.I.M.A.S (Società Italiana Macchine Aziendali Stiatti) and the product was successful throughout Italy and in most European countries, also reaching major Asian markets such as Japan and Turkey.
During his youth, Vittorio had the opportunity to savour the atmosphere of manufacturing and commercial activities through the example set by his father.
After finishing his Engineering studies at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Vittorio became a successful manager at an industrial automation company.
Then in 1968, at the age of 32 years, he decided to found Rain SpA.
The first product developed was a very successful electro-mechanical irrigation controller, named the “Pioggiatore”.
This valve was produced until 1985, when Vittorio decided to invest heavily in the manufacturing business.
Rain became a manufacturer of solenoid valves in the mid 1980s with the 160 model, a strong and reliable commercial valve, available in sizes 1”,
1 ¼” and 1 ½”.
The range of electrovalves was then increased over the following ten years to include another two lines: the 150 and 180.
The 150 was a small compact valve available in sizes of ½”, ¾” and 1”, while the 180 was a larger valve, in sizes of 2” and 3”, designed for use in agriculture.
New lines of products were created in the early 1990s: valve boxes, metallic filters and other accessories for use in both landscaping and agriculture.
Rain moved from its historical location of Milan in 1992 to a new site in Cerro Maggiore, a strategic location situated halfway between Milan and Malpensa International airport, right in the heart of the highly advanced industrial region of Lombardy.
A couple of years later, in accordance with the family’s innovative tradition, Vittorio decided to develop the first IP68 controller for electrovalves, the RainOne.
Rain has been a pioneer in this product category, developing new versions and new software, year after year, in order to meet the requirements of clients and contractors.
The 1990s also became a key turning point in the history of Rain, with the second generation becoming a part of their father’s enterprise.
Firstly the two oldest children, Anna and Alberto, joined the company, quickly followed by the younger brother Matteo.
In 2001, Rain lost its founder and mentor, Vittorio, and the three siblings were suddenly faced with the huge challenge of ensuring that the business progressed with the same intuition and passion of their father.
If the 1990s was the decade of product expansion, the following years saw Rain’s internationalization.
In fact, expansion on the international market is one of Vittorio’s main strategic legacies, with Rain opening its first subsidiary in France in 2004, merging with Christophe Barsacq to acquire a distribution company based in Bordeaux, Quincallierie de la Gironde, recently renamed Rain Irrigation.
In 2007 Rain opened up another business sector, acquiring EV Service, a company owned by the Stiatti and Del Taglia families, operating in the DIY business.
This moment represented another strategic crossroads for Rain, as having a strong distribution network in both the professional and DIY markets gave the company the space to invest in new product lines.
Between 2009 and 2015 the Stiatti family patented more than 10 new innovative products in the irrigation sector.
The better known ones are the full manifold valve system and the EZOpen handle-operated valve box.
All new products follow the same RAIN philosophy, namely to make life easier for the contractor and end user.
The full manifold system is a unique device that allows for the quickest and easiest installation and maintenance of the solenoid valves in the valve boxes or cabinets.
Rain opened a new subsidiary in 2013, setting up a joint venture with Mr. Jonathan Gilat to cover Israel, one of the most competitive and specialized irrigation markets in the world.
At the same time, the company’s R & D department heavily invested its time and effort in the electronic sector, launching four new controller ranges on to the new market.
The first of these was the Amico + range, a top-end tap-connected timer with unique features that has been enthusiastically accepted and adopted by the international market.
The I-Dial and Elite ranges, including 24 Vac and 9 VDC indoor and outdoor versions, were launched in 2015 with surprising success due to a very simple and logical programming system.
No other company except RAIN is able to present itself as one of the best manufacturer of new products for both the PRO and DIY landscape market.
Over the past 3 years, RAIN has further expanded its International activities: global sales are personally directed by Alberto, Matteo and Jonathan, each having his own territorial responsibilities for identifying and developing strong export channels.
Rain recently appointed Mr. Matteo Candela to lead the marketing division and Mr. Francesco D’Apolito to manage the International Customer Services Department. The eldest daughter, Anna Stiatti, personally manages the company’s Financial Department.
All in all, RAIN has an excellent team, which focuses on the customer. Rain’s ambition is to become a major player in the landscape irrigation arena, leading the market with innovative products.
In order to be closer to the market RAIN has 4 logistics centres (Milan, Naples, Bordeaux and Tel Aviv), serving more than 50 countries around the globe as well as the main European DIY chains.
The company vision is to become a global leader in the landscape irrigation industry, providing innovative and smart irrigation management solutions, while collaborating with our distributors in order to ensure excellent monitoring and management of our products.