National Technical Systems Acquires United States Test Laboratory
CALABASAS, CA, December 11, 2007
National Technical Systems (NASDAQ: NTSC) (NTS), a provider of engineering services, has acquired United States Test Laboratory, LLC (USTL) located in Wichita, KS. USTL tests soft body armor, helmets, firearm safety devices, handguns, stab resistance, and hard body armor.
William McGinnis, president and CEO of NTS, stated: “The USTL business is very profitable, highly specialized, and designed for and dedicated to meeting the specialty requirements of mechanical testing of personnel protection equipment. This acquisition aligns with our growth strategy to provide a wider breadth of services to government, military, and law enforcement agencies.
“Our plan is to expand facilities at USTL to meet the growing demand for personnel protection equipment and align the USTL expertise and certifications with our Camden facility and develop an overall additional capability to test vehicle protection equipment. We believe the strategy of a combined offering of testing personnel protection equipment and testing vehicle armor protection positions NTS as a specialized armor service company and creates added potential for continued revenue and margin growth."
Founded in 1998, USTL is certified through the U.S. Department of Justice under the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standard 0101.04 “Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor." The laboratory is also approved by the U.S. Army and several other state and local police authorities. USTL is a leading competitor in the soft body armor testing market and provides testing for companies such as BAE, Lockheed Martin, and the U.S. Army.
The company also has multiyear contracts with the NYPD and the U.S. Army. The company supports testing of a very critical life-saving product. The body armor market has become an increasingly demanding environment with the development of new technologies and users requiring more capabilities such as fire protection. The high demand for products in recent years due to the global war on terrorism has resulted in a significant increase in testing and development requirements.
“The USTL team is thrilled to be joining the NTS family,” commented Richard Mouser, president of USTL. “This move opens new doors for both our employees and our clients, giving us the capability to grow faster and in new directions.”
About National Technical
Systems National Technical Systems provides engineering services to the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, automotive, and high technology markets. Through a worldwide network of resources, NTS provides full product life-cycle support, offering engineering, compliance, testing, certification, quality registration, and program management. For additional information about NTS, visit www.ntscorp.com or call 800-270-2516.