Taco breaks ground on expansion

By Chris Barrett
PBN Staff Writer
Twitter: @Cbarrettri

CRANSTON – Taco Inc. is slated to break ground Friday on an $18 million expansion at its Cranston headquarters.

The maker of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment plans to construct a 24,037-square-foot Innovation and Development Center geared toward training its employees. The project also includes interior renovations to offices in the existing facility.

Taco said the project represented the largest capital expenditure in its 91-year history.

In April, the company had put the brakes on the project after Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee proposed overhauling the state’s corporate tax structure. Taco officials complained the proposal, if adopted, would cost the company $1 million each year.

Last month, Taco President and CEO John Hazen White Jr. reversed course and said the project would move forward after all.