| Project
Summary: Taco has embarked on a major building project
to modernize its Cranston, RI facility and revamp the Taco
Learning Center. The project’s Master Infrastructure Plan
calls for expanding the front of the present building to
accommodate a brand new, state-of-the-art education and
training center, to be called the Taco Innovation &
Development Center, along with over 24,000 sq. ft. of
renovations to office space areas.
The project represents the
largest capital expenditure effort in the company’s
history and addresses the company’s short and long terms
needs for remaining in Rhode Island. This “Green” LEED
project will showcase the best that today’s advanced
hydronics industry offers, including “Living Laboratories”
demonstration spaces for working Taco products and systems.
Architectural design by
Baker Design Group, Boston, MA Construction management by
Shawmut Design and Construction, Providence, RI
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| Taco
broke ground today on a major building project designed to
secure its future in the Ocean State. Company President
& CEO John Hazen White, Jr. was joined by family
members, representatives from the state’s political
leadership, guests and employees of Taco for the morning
event.
The centerpiece of the $18 million project will be the
new Taco Innovation & Development Center, consisting of
a two-story 24,037 square foot addition to the current
building, a former trolley barn built in 1904. The
Innovation & Development Center will be a state-of-
the-art learning and training environment, complete with new
classroom spaces, conference rooms, a business center, and
functional labs for testing and teaching.
The Center will utilize, display and provide a hands-on
learning environment for the best equipment and systems that
today’s HVAC industry offers for comfort, efficiency and
sustainability. The HVAC products and systems will be
visible throughout the entire facility forming “Living
Laboratories” that allow for close-up viewing, hands-on
learning and teaching. Taco’s reception area, employee
cafeteria and office areas on two floors, encompassing over
24,000 sq. ft of interior space within the existing
building, will undergo extensive renovation, floor to
ceiling, advancing the comfort, functionality and
productivity of those areas.
There will be new offices, work stations, meeting rooms
and open areas illuminated by energy effi cient lighting,
natural light and the very best in indoor comfort. The LEED
project, slated for completion during the fall of 2012, will
provide the space the company needs to grow and to remain
competitive while remaining in RI, where the company has
been operating since 1942.
“Taken together, these major improvements to Taco’s
physical infrastructure will provide us with a new home for
the coming decades,” said John Hazen White, Jr., the third
generation owner of Taco. “The new Taco Innovation &
Development Center will be a showcase for our industry,
where members of our professional community will learn about
the latest technology and applications our industry has to
offer. We look forward to the completion of this project
when we can begin sharing this amazing facility with them.
“With this ambitious project under way, Taco is
committing itself further to the growth and success of our
employees, our customers and our industry.” The project,
which will extend through fi ve phases of design and
construction, will employ 36 subcontracting employers and
provide almost 200 jobs for the local economy.
For more information, visit www.taco-hvac.com
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