PALO ALTO, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan selected TACO Incorporated (TACO) as the recipient of the 2006 Market Leadership of the Year Award for the North American heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) circulator pumps market. TACO has been traditionally known for its innovations within pumps, controls and associated system components that make a complete hydronic solution for the customers. The strength of TACO lies in its broad product portfolio in the circulator pumps and smart electronic controls.

Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to a company that has exhibited market share leadership through the implementation of Market Engineering strategy. The recipient has displayed excellence in all areas of the market leadership process, including the identification of market challenges, drivers and restraints, as well as strategy development and methods of addressing these market dynamics.

"Customers have repeatedly recognized the company for its excellence in providing robust products and services that are a hallmark of innovation," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Arun Kumar J. "The company's focus to provide pumps that satisfy the needs of the customer has enabled it to position itself as the market leader within the HVAC space."

TACO has always been aggressive in the development of new products that drive innovation in an increasingly demanding market. Customers have consistently found in TACO a reliable partner that provides a total solution and delivers results that exceed customer expectations. The innovative LoadMatch® system helps HVAC contractors to design efficient systems that not only provide significant energy savings but also help qualify for leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The wide ranges of circulator pumps are specialized for the traditional hydronic heating and cooling as well as radiant heating industry and are utilized for in-floor and panel heating applications. Customers enjoy the privilege of choosing from a wide variety of end suction pumps, vertical inline pumps, horizontal split case pumps, and inline circulators. The unique pump selection wizard tool on the company website helps the customers to arrive at the right choice. TACO also provides an entire range of electronic controls that synchronize the performance of circulator pumps and deliver maximum value.

"HVAC contractors have widely appreciated TACO for its innovative design tools that enable the selection of the most suitable system from a wide variety of TACO products," explains Kumar. "The TACO Design Suite software is one such example that has been acknowledged for its ability to help designers to make profit-impacting decisions and enable a quick return on investment (ROI) while maximizing the system performance."

TACO has been successful in understanding the customer needs and addressing them effectively through a consistent delivery of innovative products. For example, the new replacement kit Pro-Fit® Pump Less Volute Series, which acts as an economical replacement for the universal circulator models, combines the benefits of maintenance free operations as well as significant cost savings since the original pump housing can be used.

Also, the strong distribution network backed by an excellent product management and marketing group helps the company identify the customer needs quickly and translate these needs into products that address critical requirements.

The continued commitment to add value to its customers through innovative products makes TACO Incorporated the worthy recipient of 2006 Frost & Sullivan Market Leadership of the Year Award in the North American HVAC circulator pumps market.

About TACO Incorporated

Taco, Inc., headquartered in Cranston, RI, develops and manufactures hydronic-based components for use in heating and cooling applications across the building spectrum--residential, commercial, industrial and institutional. Its wide range of hydronic and radiant systems and components include pumps, heat exchangers, expansion tanks, flow measurement devices, air separators and valves, and zone control products. It is also one of the best-known brands in the hydronic industry, long associated with continual product innovation and development.

Taco is an ISO 9001-registered company, producing products at internationally-recognized quality standards.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.awards.frost.com or http://www.buildingtechnologies.frost.com.