TACO Dedicates Its New Innovation & Development Center
One year and 2 months after Taco broke ground on a major building project designed to secure its future in the Ocean State and enhance its competitiveness. On August 1, the company dedicated its newly completed Innovation and Development Center. President & CEO John Hazen White, Jr. was joined by approximately 150 HVAC industry guests including major manufacturing representatives, trade press, and contractors for the morning event.
The Taco Innovation and Development Center, consisting of a two-story 24,037 square foot addition to the current building, is the centerpiece of the company’s Master Infrastructure Plan. The Innovation and Development Center is 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 utilizes, displays and provides 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.
The LEED Gold Innovation Center project, along with office area renovations now under way within the existing building, 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.
‘The new Taco Innovation & Development Center is a wonderful showcase for our industry, where members of our professional community will learn about the latest technology and applications our industry has to offer. It’s also an enriching environment where Taco employees will continue to increase their knowledge and enhance their personal and professional lives through training and education classes and programs,” commented Company President and CEO John Hazen White, Jr., the third member of his family to operate the company since 1920. ‘With the building now operational we look forward to begin sharing this amazing facility.”
The total project, which extends through five phases of design and construction, has employed 36 subcontracting employers and provided almost 200 jobs for the local economy. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.