Taco opens Innovation & Development Center

AT THE OPENING and dedication of Taco Inc.'s new Innovation & Development Center.  Ron Simoneau, vice president, Shawmut Design and Construction, Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung; John Hazen White, Jr; Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee ; Kyle Lloyd, Shawmut Design and Construction.
 / COURTESY TACO INC.
AT THE OPENING and dedication of Taco Inc.'s new Innovation & Development Center. Ron Simoneau, vice president, Shawmut Design and Construction, Cranston Mayor Allan W. Fung; John Hazen White, Jr; Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee ; Kyle Lloyd, Shawmut Design and Construction. / COURTESY TACO INC.

CRANSTON – With applause and appreciation to those who worked on its expansion, Taco Inc., of Cranston, dedicated and opened its new Innovation & Development Center on Thursday.

The $20 million addition updates the company’s facility, creating a two-story, 24,000-square-foot addition that includes classrooms, several laboratories and a business center. It also features the latest in HVAC technology.

The company manufacturers hydronic heating equipment, systems that use water to transfer heat.

They also specialize in ventilation and air conditioning equipment for domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

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“This is the biggest thing we’ve ever done,” said White gratefully before a crowd of 100 employees and dignitaries,” said White. “We’ve done it with an element of class and certainly a whole lot of fun.”

“What a wonderful opportunity for all of us,” he said. “It’s about taking Taco to another level, not only in growth and development, but commitment. To our employees I would like to say that this project was undertaken and completed for you.”

“He does the smart thing,” said Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee, “he gives good wages and benefits, and he invests in the future and that’s what we’re celebrating today, a building for innovation and development.”

“What could be better that that, taking the profits of the good times, rewarding your employees with good wages and benefits and investing in the center for the future,” added Chafee. “That’s good smart business and certainly an inspiration for government.”

“It’s our employees who brought us where we are today and where we will be tomorrow,” said Kyle A. Adamonis, senior vice president.

The LEED gold innovation center project, along with office area renovations now underway in the existing building, will provide the space the company needs to grow and to remain competitive while remaining in the Ocean State, where the company has been operating since 1942.

Taco employs about 400 people in Rhode Island and 80 in Fall River. Construction management by Shawmut Design and Construction, Providence, and the Architectural design by Baker Design Group, Boston.

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