Cheryl Merchant

Strategic Investment Future-Proofs Manufacturing

A long-awaited expansion to Taco’s Fall River, MA, plant is underway. The $20+ million project greatly enhances and expands the manufacturer’s ability to build larger tanks, heat exchangers and a wide range of other products – while also enabling them to add capacity and reduce lead times.

Taco Comfort Solutions, based in Cranston, RI, began making plans for the plant expansion more than a decade ago. Groundbreaking began in early September ’23 and the project is expected to take about 18 months to complete.

“The expansion of Taco’s Fall River facility is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Taco team and our commitment to our customers,” said Cheryl Merchant, President and CEO, Taco Family of Companies. “The need for ASME certified fabricated products has grown tremendously as well as many facets of our market. When our customers asked us to increase our capacity to fulfill their demand, we said YES!  Our ability to innovate and grow with our customers and partners has been, and will continue to be, a key reason Taco has remained strong and innovative for 104 years,” noted Cheryl.

The Fall River plant’s previous footprint was 60,000 square feet. With the expansion, Taco is adding 52,000 square feet.

“After overcoming COVID and supply line setbacks, countless questions about details of the project, and through economic ups and downs, we determined that the time is right for this project,” said Anthony DeMoura, VP – Taco Fabricated Products Division & PIFA Foundry Operations. “The project is finally underway.”

For more than 100 years, Taco has been committed to designing and manufacturing innovative and dependable HVAC, plumbing and industrial solutions. Taco’s Fall River plant manufactures ASME Section VIII pressure vessels used in commercial and industrial heating and cooling systems.

“At Taco Fall River we design, fabricate and test both custom and standard plate heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, expansion tanks, air and dirt separators, hydraulic balancers and other specialized pressure vessels,” added DeMoura.

According to DeMoura, the plant was previously capable of constructing vessels up to capacities of 12,000 gallons (about 10’ w x 20’ h). Taco’s plant expansion will enable the fabrication of vessels up to 40,000 gallons, more than tripling current tank sizes. “We’ll have lifting capacity within the plant capable of lifting 60 tons. In many respects, we’re building the new facility around a massive crane system.”

World class custom engineering

Taco has grown to become a premier custom fabrication provider among global manufacturers. Their veteran team of engineers, welders, assemblers and customer support personnel carry an extensive wealth of industry knowledge, design logic and technical experience.

Customized variations of all standard designs are available. Some examples of custom projects include:

• Flash tanks
• Thermal energy storage tanks
• De-aerator tanks
• Clean steam generation
• Fully custom ASME Section VIII rated pressure vessels

According to DeMoura, the expanded plant will offer these capabilities as well:

• Plate rolling (up to 1 ¼” thick)
• Steel cutting (up to 5” thick)
• Stainless steel cutting (up to 2 ½” thick)
• Robotic welding of tank heads up to 60” in diameter
• Fabrication of vessels up to 12’ in diameter
• Unmatched welding precision and quality with over 50 ASME certified pressure vessel welders

Engineering capabilities

The engineering capabilities of Taco’s ASME design team extend even further, fulfilling custom requests to meet unique requirements. All phases of fabrication are handled by Taco. Their skill and expertise stem from a culture of pride and close attention to detail, resulting in industry-leading quality and customer satisfaction.

With ASME certified welders, certified testers and a National Board Authorized Inspector in-house, Taco offers the team and equipment needed to provide fast, flexible lead times and the ability to accommodate quick turnaround and emergency requests.

“This is exciting. Our exceptional welders, fabricators, machinists, and assemblers build some impressive products already. When this project is completed, we will be able to build even bigger and more complicated products for the global marketplace, and we are doing it right here in Fall River, MA, with some of the best tradespeople in the industry,” concluded DeMoura.

Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions has opened a new state-of-the-art facility in Lubbock, Texas.  The site opened on February 21, and substantially expands the operations of the Taco Family of Companies. Taco is headquartered in Cranston, RI.

Hydroflo’s new 45,000 s.f. location in Lubbock, Texas, is in the manufacturing and transportation hub of northwest Texas, 40 miles north of its prior location in Brownfield, Texas.  With the new facility also comes the advantage of added space for future growth, additional capabilities and team expansion.

“The opening of this new Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions facility signifies a renewed focus on ensuring that our customers have access to the most dependable high quality vertical and submersible pumps in the market,” noted Cheryl Merchant, President and CEO, Taco Family of Companies. “Our investment in the infrastructure, testing equipment and expanded workforce is just the beginning of the next phase of the Hydroflo story.

“I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude to our new landlord, Randy Teinert, the City of Lubbock, and the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce,” continued Merchant.  “Family is at the core of everything we do at Taco, and I want to thank all of you for making us feel like family. Your warm welcome to this community has made all the difference.

“The Hydroflo team, along with the more than 1,200 Taco team members, are leading us into the future,” she added.  “A future of opportunity, a future of growth and a future of well-earned success.”

According to Hydroflo’s Director of Sales, Clay Williams, the facility substantially expands their manufacturing, warehouse and quality control operations. New manufacturing equipment was purchased for the facility, and a state-of-the-art test pit have expanded their testing capabilities as well.

“The new test pit is much larger and deeper and greatly improves our range of testing,” explained Larry Jones, Hydroflo VP.  “We now have the ability to test all current pump models, something we previously had to outsource.”

Hydroflo manufactures a wide range of submersible turbine, vertical axial-flow, vertical mixed-flow, and vertical turbine pumps for use in the agricultural, commercial, industrial, municipal, marine, mining, and power generation markets. The company uses high-quality ductile iron discharge heads and fabricated steel or 316 stainless steel L, F, and T style heads. Ductile Iron bowl castings with impellers in 201 stainless steel impellers are also used for greater strength. For applications that require resistance to corrosion, Hydroflo offers castings and impellers in 316 stainless steels in order to provide the best materials of construction to meet specific application needs.

Taco Hydroflo Pump Solutions is an integral part of the Taco Family of Companies, an expanding global network of industry-leading brands that strive to be the first source for durable, high-efficiency heating, cooling, plumbing and fluid-control solutions that help its customers save money, energy and resources while maximizing comfort and productivity.

The Taco Family of Companies Executive Chairman and owner John Hazen White, Jr. has announced the promotion of Cheryl Merchant to Chief Executive Officer of the 100-year old, third generation family-owned company. Merchant, who joined Taco in 2019, was previously President of Global Operations.

“During her time at Taco, Cheryl has proven herself a capable and talented leader. I feel confident that our company will continue to move in a positive direction under her leadership. This promotion demonstrates the full confidence and trust that the White family has in her,” said White.

White added, “I will remain actively involved in the company. This executive transition will allow me to focus on global growth of the company as well as continue to nurture and strengthen the crucial relationships we have with our employees, reps, suppliers, customers, and the communities where we work.”

Prior to joining Taco, Merchant spent the last 19 years as the President and CEO of Hope Global Industries, based in Cumberland, Rhode Island.