Saving lives and livelihoods: Local leaders tour Tyco facility

Posted 7/1/14

In a darkened testing room, visitors gathered around the viewing windows of a small, enclosed room to observe a piece of life-saving technology in action.

As the demonstration began, flames shot …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Saving lives and livelihoods: Local leaders tour Tyco facility

Posted

In a darkened testing room, visitors gathered around the viewing windows of a small, enclosed room to observe a piece of life-saving technology in action.

As the demonstration began, flames shot from a pair of floor-mounted devices and slowly intensified. Soon after, foam began to shoot from the top of one of the walls, quickly expanding and rising to fill the room and extinguish the flames.

The foam is just one of the innovative products being worked on at Tyco Fire Protection Products’ facility in Cranston, which serves as a hub of testing, training and communication for the global company’s water and mechanical divisions.

On June 28, Tyco welcomed the state’s congressional delegation – U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin and David Cicilline – along with Mayor Allan Fung, state Sen. Hanna Gallo and state Rep. Arthur Handy to get an up-close look at the operation and discuss the company’s vision for the future.

“It’s all about saving people’s lives and people’s livelihoods,” said Phil Gunning, Tyco’s senior manager of services.

“We really do have a passion to protect what matters most,” said David LeBlanc, the company’s director of innovation and new ventures.

Tyco’s 75,000-square-foot Cranston facility is located on four acres on Elmwood Avenue, comprised of offices, testing areas and a training center. The company employs nearly 100 people in the Ocean State, and has hired additional engineers and support staff in recent years.

“We feel like we’re doing our part to help the local economy,” said Gunning.

Manny Silva, director of engineering for the company, noted that the Cranston location plays a key role in international operations.

“The people here in Cranston support the water and mechanical business all over the world,” he said.

The training and testing facilities at the Elmwood Avenue site are state-of-the-art, and company officials also touted their use of innovative systems to recycle the water used in the process.

“We’re a green company, and we’re proud of that,” said Roger Wilkins, project engineering manager at Tyco.

Demonstrations during the recent visit included various sprinkler systems, such as those designed for hotels, homes and industrial settings.

Silva said the company’s primary strength is the “breadth of our product line,” and pointed to the growing fire suppression market in countries such as India and Brazil as a major opportunity.

Primarily, though, Silva and Gunning said Tyco’s vision for continued success is focused on innovation.

“Our goal is to continue to advance the technology,” said Silva.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here