 |
Sunday, 26 February 2006 | Elif Sungur
Renovation of Fire Sprinkler Research Facility
Tyco Fire & Building Products (TFBP), a division of Tyco International Ltd. and a world leader in water-based fire suppression systems and technology, announced today a $3.5 million plan to renovate its current Cranston, RI-based R & D facility into a new, state-of-the-art Global Technology Center. The renovation plan consists of a multi-phase remodel of the existing center. The first two phases of the remodel are slated to be completed this year, resulting in a new, world-class training facility, and the addition of a multi-purpose Application Development Laboratory for fire testing.
"The Cranston facility is already considered to be one of the premier fire protection research and development centers in the world," said Bob Brinkman, President of Tyco Fire & Building Products. "The plans for the Global Technology Center will not only improve and expand our product development capabilities, but also transform the facility into a showcase for new technology and products."
The first phase involves a 4,300 square foot expansion of an existing building on the Cranston campus to allow for greater product development capacity, creating the Application Development Laboratory. The new lab will include valve and sprinkler testing areas for industrial, commercial, and residential applications. Also included in the first phase is the addition of an 11,000 gallon water tank and recirculation system to minimize the discharge of water during testing. The new lab is expected to be completed in June of this year.
The second phase of the remodel, expected to be completed in October, consists of the construction of a 10,500 square foot education and training center. The new building, named the Frederick Grinnell Education Center, will be comprised of a 48-seat, multi-media amphitheater, a product museum and display area, a visitor dining/lounge area, a hands-on, 24-seat valve training classroom, and two fire demonstration cells. The new education center is named after one of the early pioneers of fire sprinkler technology; Tyco traces its fire protection heritage back to the late 1800s when Frederick Grinnell patented a sprinkler design and founded the business that eventually became a part of Tyco.
The remaining phases of the renovation will be completed over a two year period and will include renovation of a Technology Support Building and a Research and Engineering Building.
"Last year, this facility had over 200 visitors and conducted 15 classes on fire suppression and protection," said Brinkman. "When our renovation is completed, we will have the capacity for nearly 800 visitors per year and increase our number of classes to 38. The fire protection market is growing, especially in residential, where we recently introduced our Rapid Response™ Home Fire Sprinkler System. We hope to work with more and more customers on their fire protection solutions and to maintain our technology leadership. The new Global Technology Center will help us to do that."
About Tyco Fire & Building Products
Tyco Fire & Building Products is a leading manufacturer of water-based fire suppression system components and ancillary building construction products, distributing more than 28 million sprinklers worldwide every year serving customers in residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional building projects. It continually expands its capabilities through aggressive research and product development to provide its customers effective fire protection and construction solutions. More information can be found at http://www.tyco-fire.com.
Tyco International Ltd. Is a global, diversified company that provides vital product and services to customers in five business segments: Fire & Security, Electronics, Healthcare, Engineered Products & Services, and Plastics & Adhesives. With 2005 revenue of $40 billion, Tyco employs approximately 250,000 people worldwide. More information on Tyco can be found at http://www.tyco.com.
|
|
|
