Local Leadership, Global Vision

TACO, Inc. Awarded at Bryant University, World Trade Day - 2007

John Hazen White Jr., CEO of Taco, Inc., (above) received an International Trade Achievement Award in May at Bryant University's 22nd Annual World Trade event. Northeast Regional Director, U.S. Department of Commerce, Jim Cox presented the award to Hazen White, which he proudly accepted on behalf of his staff.

Presented by the John H. Chafee Center for International Business, World Trade Day is one of the largest international trade conferences in the Northeast region.

As one of the most prominent business leaders in Rhode Island, Hazen White runs at $150M manufacturing company and oversees about 500 employees.

In an era when many companies base their value strictly on the bottom line, Hazen White emphasizes loyalty to employees, suppliers, customers and community and lives it daily in the dedication he places on those four areas. "My philosophy encompasses the way I run the business, the way we as a group run the business, and the reason we do the things we do. We must run the company to fulfill these obligations," said Hazen White in a recent interview.

John represents the third generation of his family to own and operate Taco. He started his career in 1982, after serving in sales positions with manufacturer representative agencies. During his tenure at Taco he has held various positions of increasing responsibility and in 1991 became the executive vice-president of the company. He became president in 1996.

Taco, a leader in its industry, is a world-class manufacturer of heating and cooling equipment. Headquartered in Cranston, RI, Taco, Inc. develops and manufactures hydronic-based components for use in heating and cooling applications across the building spectrum. All manufacturing is done at plants in Cranston, RI, Fall River, MA and Mississagua, Ont. Products are sold in the Americas, Asia and the Far East