Significantly Expands NTS’ Testing Capabilities in Ballistic and Armor Protection Systems While Adding New Capabilities in Non-Destructive and Sports Equipment Safety Testing
CALABASAS, CA and BELCAMP, MD, MAY 16, 2016 – National Technical Systems, Inc. (“NTS”), the leading independent provider of environmental simulation testing, inspection, and certification solutions in the United States, announced today that it has acquired Chesapeake Testing Services (“Chesapeake”) of Belcamp, Maryland. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Chesapeake was founded in 2006 as a body armor testing lab operating two indoor firing ranges. Today, it is a fully accredited and internationally recognized state-of-the-art testing provider with approximately 60,000 square feet of laboratory space in Belcamp, Maryland, adjacent to Aberdeen Proving Ground, and customers in more than 15 countries. The facility boasts eight indoor firing ranges specializing in testing ballistic and armor protection systems and also offers a number of additional capabilities, including environmental conditioning, mechanical testing, forced-entry testing, and non-destructive X-ray and CT scanning.
The addition of Chesapeake brings to NTS an excellent team of industry professionals with a world-class reputation for technical expertise and customer service. Chesapeake also further strengthens NTS’ leadership in ballistic and non-destructive testing, provides new opportunities in sports testing, and expands its nationwide network of environmental simulation laboratories.
This new Maryland facility also gives NTS a strategic location from which to pursue growth in the Mid-Atlantic market, while further enhancing our ability to be responsive to our customers’ testing needs and increasing the “one-stop shop” capability for which NTS has become known.
Jim Foulk, Founder and CEO Emeritus of Chesapeake and new Vice President of Ballistics Technology for NTS, commented, “Having known and respected NTS over the years as industry leaders and friendly competitors, we couldn’t be more pleased to be joining the NTS family. They have the resources and the vision to continue to grow Chesapeake in service of the countless men and women in the armed forces and law enforcement that our ballistic testing helps protect.”
“We are excited to add Chesapeake Testing to the NTS organization,” added Vicki Panhuise, CEO of NTS. “The team at Chesapeake has driven extraordinary growth across its entire service line, and we look forward to working with them to expand upon the strong foundation they have built.”
Chesapeake is NTS’ twenty-sixth laboratory worldwide and joins its Camden, AR and Wichita, KS laboratories in providing ballistic, ammunition, and firearm testing.
NTS is a portfolio company of Los Angeles-based Aurora Capital Group.
About National Technical Systems
National Technical Systems, Inc. (NTS) is a global independent provider of environmental simulation testing, inspection, and certification services, serving a broad range of industries, including the civil aviation, space, defense, nuclear, telecommunications, industrial, electronics, medical, and automotive end markets. During its more than 50 years in business, NTS has built the broadest geographic presence and sole national footprint in the United States, an unparalleled breadth of capabilities, and has fostered continuous innovation, making NTS a unique one-stop resource to meet its clients’ demanding and evolving requirements. Operating through a network of 26 technologically advanced testing laboratories across the United States, this geographically diverse footprint puts NTS facilities in close proximity to its more than 4,000 clients, allowing NTS to serve the nation’s most innovative companies with industry-leading accessibility and responsiveness. NTS’ offering spans more than 70 distinct environmental simulation and materials testing categories, including climatic, structural, dynamics, fluid flow, EMI/EMC, lightning, product safety, acoustics, failure analysis, chemical, and other industry-specific tests, allowing it to handle its clients’ most demanding needs. Additionally, the company is accredited by numerous national and international organizations, which allows NTS to have its test data nearly universally accepted worldwide. NTS operates its inspection division under the Unitek brand, providing a wide range of supply chain management services. NTS’ certification division, which operates under the NQA brand, is one of the largest and most respected global ISO registrars, with active certifications in more than 75 countries. For additional information about NTS, visit our website at www.nts.com or call 800-270-2516.