Frost & Sullivan has selected the A.O. Smith Corp., of Ashland City, Tenn., the recipient of the 2009 North American Water Heaters Product Innovation of the Year Award. This is the second time in the past four years A. O. Smith has received the award from Frost & Sullivan, a business research and consulting firm. 
   The Award for Product Innovation of the Year is presented each year to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. A. O. Smith received the award for its new product developments, including the Cyclone Xi and Vertex water heaters.
   The Cyclone brand was the first commercial water heater to achieve efficiencies up to 96 percent, while the Vertex water heater, designed for the residential market, provides 100,000 BTU and 96 percent efficiency.