Taco

Taco’s newest Zone Sentry Zone Valve – with an inverted flare – is ideally suited to retrofit and new construction work. The zone valves improve the overall performance of any hydronic system that uses a zone valve. Uniquely, Taco’s zone valve line uses microcircuit-based logic to control a gear-driven electronic actuator that drives a ball valve-based body design.

Taco’s Zone Sentry valve is available with either a normally open or normally closed actuator. The valve can be installed in any direction, in any orientation. Snap-in quick connects on the back of the valve make for a simple, secure wiring hook-up. A green LED shows full functionality of valve operation.

Ideal for use with a wide variety of heating and cooling applications, Zone Sentry valves were designed primarily for baseboard, fan coil, radiator, convector, heat pump and radiant applications. The valves are now available in ½”, ¾”, 1”sweat or NPT and inverted flare (less fittings) and inverted flare (with ¾” sweat fittings) and draw only 1.44 watts.

The Zone Sentry is easy to install and operate, and the one-handed liftoff actuator means that tight space is no longer a concern.

The addition of this connection to the Zone Sentry line allows contractors to replace an existing inverted flare valve with the Zone Sentry without having to cut and sweat pipe, greatly reducing retrofit time. For new installations, it allows the installer to use the type of product he prefers, with improved performance.

www.taco-hvac.com

The Taco Innovation and Development Center (IDC), which opened in mid-2012, has been awarded LEED Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The 24,037-sq.-ft. facility, which houses classrooms and meeting spaces for training and educational purposes, achieved 62 points out of a total of 79 possible points for LEED Gold.

Points were awarded under the following categories: Sustainable Sites (20), Water Efficiency (4), Energy & Atmosphere (15), Materials & Resources (6), Indoor Environmental Quality (10), Innovation & Design Process (5) and Regional Priority Credits (2).

The Taco IDC, in addition to its instructional/educational focus for both Taco employees and HVAC industry professionals who visit the facility, was designed to be a showcase for energy-saving and sustainable products and systems, which are visible throughout the building for close-up viewing, hands-on learning and teaching.

Products and systems installed in the IDC include chilled beams (active and passive), radiant ceiling heating and cooling, fan coils, water-source heat pumps, perimeter radiation, radiant-floor heating, solar hot water, snow melt and geothermal. The mechanical design goal was to optimize hydronic-side design and remove/add as much heat as possible using chilled beams, flat-panel radiation along the IDC’s walls, and radiant floor systems. All equipment and systems are controlled by Taco’s proprietary iWorx Web-based building management product line and monitored by a host of sensors and meters throughout the building.

Taco achieved 15 out of a possible 20 points total in the Energy & Atmosphere category and 8 out of 11 possible points for optimization of energy performance. In fact, the IDC’s operation performance since its opening has exceeded expectations.

The performance of the IDC mechanical and electrical systems are monitored continuously via dedicated measurement and verification systems. Since the building was completed several new measurement stations were added including hydronic BTU metering systems, electrical sub-meters and building automation monitoring systems. These measurement systems have allowed Taco to monitor energy consumption in real time and compare those actual energy measurements against the initial energy model. All indications are that the building is meeting or exceeding the projected energy savings.

For example, during the period from September 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 the building consumed 126,290 KBTU from the hot water heating system or approximately 150,345 KBTUS of natural gas at 84% boiler efficiency. Taco estimates that this is approximately 75% of the annual gas consumption for heating BTUS. Natural gas consumption prorated for the entire year is approximately 200,460 KBTUS. The energy model predicted that the building would consume 296,900 KBTUS annually. The actual consumption is estimated at 67.5% of the projected consumption. These numbers will be refined as more data is collected.

In considering its LEED application, Taco’s objective was always to implement a system approach to achieving energy efficiency rather than chase individual LEED points. The company wanted to design the most efficient building possible and to see how the design translated into LEED points.

At the time of construction, project manager Chris Integlia, Taco’s executive vice president, said, “Our approach to this project has always been to have LEED certification as a public validation of the efforts we’ve put into the project, and as a confirmation that our products and technologies will help not only Taco but others in our industry achieve highly sustainable green buildings.

“We’re going to do the right things by Taco, and we’ll see how far we can go with that in terms of the LEED scorecard. We do know, however, that the products and technologies we intend to put into the building will achieve a very high level of certification.”

The IDC has been a busy place since it opened and has provided training and education to Taco’s workforce as well as more than 3,000 visitors attending over 50 courses for both residential and commercial training.

The IDC is the second LEED certified project for Taco. In 2009 the company received LEED certification for a new 60,000-sq.-ft. warehouse-distribution center addition to its facility.

I noticed a slight tremble in his fingers as he raised his hand to wipe his brow. It wasn’t because he was nervous; he has conducted hundreds of press conferences throughout his career. But on the day of the announcement of Taco’s partnership with Italian manufacturer Askoll last November, Taco CEO John White’s words resonated a theme he’s carried with him since he took over the company from his father. The room filled with press and, more importantly, Taco employees, the message was about them, and how much really loves each and every one in the room that morning, and all of Taco’s employees throughout.

“My primary responsibility is to find ways to grow, develop and protect this company,” said White at the Taco/Askoll press conference. “We have very big, very tough competitors, very good companies. Good competitors, but tough. And so as time has evolved, I’ve learned that one thing I can do is to go and seek relationships, seek opportunities to continue to provide this company with avenues to prosperity and avenues to protection.”

So, continues White, sometime over the last 10 years, there’s been tremendous technological advancement in the area of circulators and we are now moving into government regulations on pumps and circulators for energy efficiency.

Under the terms of the Taco/Askoll agreement, the two companies will collaborate on research and development relating to new circulating pump designs and other joint product and marketing initiatives.

Taco has already begun assembling a new high efficiency circulator for residential and light commercial applications — the VR1816 — which employs Askoll’s variable speed technology, at its Cranston, R.I. plant, and the future calls for the VR1816 to be manufactured entirely by Taco.

The VR1816 is an extension of Taco’s Viridian line of circulators, which is a wet rotor circulator with an ECM permanent magnet motor that uses up to 85% less electricity. It features an infinitely variable speed setting capability for fine-tuning the flow of any hydronics-based system, and six pressure presets to fit the job.

“This is very exciting because No. 1, it protects us. It protects our product line technologically. Secondly, it protects the jobs in Rhode Island. I’m all about protecting these jobs and so this is a chance to do that. And finally, it allows us to form a relationship with a fine company who shares many of the same values as we do,” said White.

The One-on-One

After the press conference, I had a chance to sit down with White in his office, but not until after he made his way through the production floor, addressing the employees he saw by name, shaking hands and giving hugs.

When we sat down, White began to tell a story about when he was in college working in the shipping department, “I’ll never forget one day, I was sitting on a palette of circulators, having my coffee break and a cigarette, and a guy came around with the paychecks. I never saw people so happy in my life. I knew that someday I wanted to run this place. There’s something more to it. When I began running this place I began to pour my heart and soul into the people.”

White began his career working for a Taco sales rep in the Bay Area, which he refers to as Taco West. He eventually made his way East and began working as a Taco rep. “As a rep, I learned the actual value of what we provided to the Tacos. When I came back here, I was the Lone Ranger, as I always understood the value of reps, and that has been very valuable to the evolution of this company.”

As the conversation continued, I asked White about the love for his employees, and his will to protect the company. “That comes from several different perspectives,” said White. “One is that we are a very competitive market. I have competitors that don’t want to see me stay around, which they have made abundantly clear. But they haven’t been able to beat us yet. So I always find a need to find the right things to allow us to continue to grow — whether they are new products, new concepts, designs — we do it all. I spend a lot of my life thinking about this. How are we going to move forward? I have to find ways to be effective with the resources that I have, and I don’t have the chance to make many mistakes. Believe me, I have made a few misjudgments—diverting resources to the thing that didn’t pan out—and I have to be careful with that.

“Another perspective is that I’ve chosen the state of Rhode Island—we are always in the bottom two in terms of business unfriendly—politics, tax prohibitive, to name a few. When I began running the company in 1992, we were about $35M in sales and we had 500 employees, closer to 600. Now we are $250M and we have 500 employees. We have been able to grow the business without adding lots of people, and now we are beginning to add again on the IT, engineering and the human resources side. Our average tenured employee is 20 years and Rhode Island is full of good, hard working skilled workers. It is the best workforce I have seen anywhere in the world.

“The growth this company has incurred and the upgrade in process and efficiency and quality, it’s been done by the same people. We’ve all done it together. Think about that. Those 500 people, a lot of them have been here for the 20 years I’ve been running this company. I feel like to the best of my ability, I owe it to them. Remember, protecting those 500 jobs is protecting the livelihood of thousands —families, suppliers, etc. It’s a pleasurable burden to be able to fulfill.”

Legacy? “My dad’s legacy was the learning center. My legacy would just be able to have allowed people to grow and prosper in their lives. It’s not about money.”

Wrapping up, White told me one last thing, “I’ve learned in life that everybody has a story. If we just took the time to listen to them. The stories I’ve heard throughout my journey, they’ve taught me so many things in life.”

The company’s future looks bright. With the introduction of Wil VandeWiel as the new president & COO of Taco, VandeWiel will oversee daily operations of Taco and work with John White, Jr. and his board of directors in steering Taco’s growth forward in the years ahead. White will remain as company CEO but will refocus his responsibilities on building new partnerships and strategic acquisitions worldwide in pursuit of company growth and diversification. And let’s not forget about John White’s two sons, John White III and Ben White, great men full of potential, at the ready to make great things happen for the future of the company.

The Message Comes Full Circle

Fast forward, the message again was clear as he spoke at last month’s AHR Show, conveying the fact that the company is looking toward future growth — through organic, inorganic and global growth. “With Taco, it’s not just about pumps and valves, it’s about a community. We are in the business of making peoples’ lives better. When a customer buys a Taco product, they are buying into someone’s future, as well,” said White.

This past week Chicago hosted the AHR Show, and the show was buzzing — great traffic and happy exhibitors  is usually a great recipe for success. The numbers are still being measured but when it is all said and done, it could be the biggest show ever. This makes sense because the underlying sentiment moving into 2015 is that companies and customers alike are spending a little more money. The economy is growing, and what better stage to see new products and technology, network with industry professionals and get smarter with a multitude of seminars.

Speaking of seminars, the Mechanical Town Hall featuring Mark Eatherton, Bob ‘hot rod’ Rohr, Dave Yates, John Barba, Eric Aune, and moderated by John Mesenbrink, was held to a capacity crowd. The interactive seminar touched upon upselling energy efficiency, pump and water heating efficiency standards, and diversification of one’s business.

If you weren’t able to make the show this year, don’t worry, we got you covered. Here’s some of the things we took away from the show on Day 1:

• Taco presser — Taco CEO John White Jr. addressed the media and conveyed the fact that the company is looking toward future growth through organic, inorganic and global growth. “With Taco, it’s not just about pumps and valves, it’s about a community. We are in the business of making peoples’ lives better. When a customer buys a Taco product, they are buying into someone’s future, as well,” said White.

• Bell & Gossett’s Little Red Schoolhouse goes online — Bell & Gossett (B&G), a Xylem brand,  introduces its Online Little Red Schoolhouse — an interactive, self-paced series of free educational courses — debuting at the 2015 AHR Expo. The launch of Bell & Gossett’s Online Little Red Schoolhouse marks the first time the brand’s pump systems training and educational programming will be available to a global audience via the internet. “Part of B&G’s legacy is to deliver the best hydronic system design training in the industry, regardless of product loyalty,” said Mark Handzel, Vice President of Product Regulatory Affairs and Director, HVAC & Commercial Buildings Business Unit Americas. “By adapting our proprietary Little Red Schoolhouse training and deep applications expertise to an online format, we are ensuring our systems solutions approach for HVAC and plumbing applications is accessible to all.”

• ROSCOPE® i2000 inspection cameras — ROTHENBERGER USA now offers the ROSCAN 150 Infrared camera with touchscreen WIFI capability that enables the thermal imager to make easy work of analysis of warm and cold sources. This new camera is the latest addition to the ROSCOPE® line of cameras offered by the world’s leading manufacturer of innovative, technologically advanced pipe tools and pipe machining machines used in the sanitary, heating, air-conditioning, refrigeration, gas and environmental technology sectors.

33 SEER Mini Splits with Low Temp Heating — Fujitsu has introduced ductless split systems, offering up to 33 SEER, now the world’s most efficient mini-splits to operate with optimal efficiency at ambient temperatures of -15°F. The new 9,000 (9RLS3H), 12,000 (12RLS3H) and 15,000 BTU (15RLS3H) inverter systems are available with these capabilities right off the shelf with no modifications needed for low ambient operation.

hilmor launches 90 new hand tools — hilmor® announced the introduction of 90 new hand tools at AHR. The additions build on the already robust collection of more than 170 HVAC/R products, and span five core technical categories including Pliers, Wrenches and Wire Strippers, Snips and Sheet Metal and Duct Tools, Screwdriving and Tool Storage and Transport.

“We added 20 products to our line of hand tools in 2014 to strong reviews, creating
even more efficient and effective tools for HVAC/R technicians,” said Rich Mathews,
Senior Vice President, Marketing, hilmor. “Now we are bringing 90 new hand tools to
our customers, underscoring our commitment to becoming the most complete tool
provider to the professional endeavors of the men and women of the HVAC/R industry.”