National Technical Systems, Inc., Acquires United States Test Laboratory
Calabasas, CA - December 11, 2007 -National Technical Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:
NTSC) (NTS), a leading provider of engineering services, announced today the
acquisition of United States Test Laboratory, LLC (USTL) located in Wichita,
Kansas, a leading provider of testing of soft body armor, helmet, Firearm
Safety Devices, handgun testing, stab resistance and hard body armor testing.
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 expertise and facilities 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 uniquely 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 in place multiyear contracts with the NYPD and the United
States Army. The company supports the 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," comments Richard
Mouser, President of USTL, "This move opens new doors for both our employees
and our clients, giving us the ability to grow faster and in new directions."
About National Technical Systems, Inc.
National Technical Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of engineering services
to the defense, aerospace, telecommunications, automotive and high technology
markets. Through a world-wide network of resources, NTS provides full product
life-cycle support, offering world class engineering, compliance, testing,
certification, quality registration and program management.
For additional information about NTS, visit our website at www.ntscorp.com or call 800-270-2516.
