It was no coincidence Cranston-headquartered Taco celebrated receiving its U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification on Earth Day, April 22. The company held a ceremony, unveiling the circular etched glass marker before members of “the team,” as well as local and state officials, in the recently built 60,000-plus-square-foot expansion.

The expansion, the first since the building was acquired in 1954, was dedicated in 2007.

Located on Cranston Street, Taco, with approximately 500 employees, is a leading U.S. manufacturer of pumps and hydronic heating components; it recently completed a substantial plant renovation and expansion, taking unusual measures to reduce – not increase – the firm’s “carbon footprint.”

Gov. Don Carcieri and Mayor Allan Fung were on hand to congratulate Taco President and CEO John Hazen White Jr., the third generation of his family to run the business.

“When we built this building, we did what we thought was right – friendly to the environment, friendly to all of us – this was done before the word ‘green’ was ever used,” said White. “We are practicing what we preach to the engineers we work with on a daily basis. The new addition also represents Taco’s commitment to the community, the environment and our employees as it incorporates a variety of sustainable building practices, many of which are designed and manufactured by Taco. The new warehouse distribution facility, which ties to the headquarters and main manufacturing plant, has greatly enhanced our operational efficiency and positions us favorably for future growth. During my lifetime, it’s my intention to grow and prosper here.”

White praised those who worked on the addition; many of them returned for the ceremony, even traveling from out of state. He also called his employees the “best there are.”

“That’s got to be the shortest speech I’ve ever heard John give,” Carcieri quipped as he stepped up to speak. Taco has been a tradition and, John, you’ve taken this business to a whole new level – you should be proud of this. I love to see manufacturing. At the end of the day, we need to have businesses that are prosperous and are investing in the community.”

Carcieri signed an executive order in 2005 requiring “the design, construction, operation and maintenance of any new, substantially expanded or renovated public building must be developed in accordance with LEED standards.” Taco’s addition has been one of the largest projects to meet that requirement.

“I’m trying to get Rhode Island to lead the way in renewable resources – everybody else is saying ‘drill, baby, drill,’” he said.

Among the sustainable design and construction practices used for the addition include creation of a cogeneration plant, which provides about one-third of Taco’s electrical requirements, using waste heat, and a roof-top thermal solar collector, which heats water for restrooms and showers within the facility. The cogeneration plant and mechanical areas double as training and demonstration areas for Taco’s sustainable heating and cooling system products.

Construction materials were also chosen to maximize the use of recycled and regionally produced resources.

“I want to acknowledge everything you’ve done for Cranston, because we care about your plant, your family, your success and your achievement,” said Fung. “I’m very proud to have companies doing the right thing, for our community and for our state.”

The 60,000-square-foot single-story facility includes 12 loading dock bays, 30-foot high clearance for storage racking systems, a print shop, administrative office space, a demonstration mechanical room for the radiant snow-melt system and facilities for the manufacturing plant’s coolant and metal chip recycling systems. The project site was decontaminated before construction began in 2006.

The company also received the Safety & Health Achievement Program certification award granted by the U.S. Department of Labor in conjunction with the Rhode Island Dept. of Health and the Rhode Island OSHA Consultation Program in March.

For more information, visit www.taco-hvac.com.