National Technical Systems Awarded Contract from Advanced Steel Recovery

CALABASAS, Calif., Jan. 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- National Technical Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: NTSC) (NTS), a leading provider of engineering, testing and supply chain management services, announced today that it has been awarded a contract to fabricate and deliver a second Mobile FASTek Scrap-Metal Loading Machine for Advanced Steel Recovery (ASR),  a scrap metal recycling company based in Fontana, CA. The second machine, which will be completed by April, will provide the same revolutionary loading functionality as the first prototype unit, along with several performance upgrades NTS will engineer and implement based on experience from extensive real-world trials. The combined engineering, fabrication and testing contract is valued at nearly $1 million.

The FASTek Mobile Loading Machine is a self-contained, 55-foot long, 93,000 pound, self-leveling machine with an integrated scale system that reduces the time it takes to load and ship as much as 58,000 pounds of scrap from approximately three hours down to about 15 minutes.  Unlike the so-called fixed machines that reside only in a single location, this mobile machine has the unique ability to be transported as needed to demolition sites or smaller scrap recycling yards that are not capable of supporting the scrap volume required for a fixed machine.  Like the first machine, this second unit will also integrate the same custom data reporting systems accessible via any web-enabled device (computer, smart phone, etc.), allowing the customer to view real-time load information.

NTS Chief Executive Officer William McGinnis noted that the work on the new mobile machine is an outgrowth of successful earlier projects with ASR that included designing similar fixed machines for scrap metal processing.

"The fact that we will be fabricating, assembling and testing this mobile machine is another excellent demonstration of the breadth of our capabilities," McGinnis said. "Winning repeat business from a satisfied customer like ASR is also a strong indication that there is growing demand for our new services and that NTS has proven its ability to deliver."

ASR has been an NTS customer since 2004 and continues to rely on NTS' proven ability to provide a variety of technological solutions and manufacturing services. The FASTek mobile machine was originally designed by NTS as an adjunct to the successful FASTek fixed machines that service scrap yards throughout the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.  This second mobile machine will join the fleet of 19 fixed machines and one mobile machine already deployed by ASR. NTS will deliver its 20th fixed machine to ASR in February of 2012. The FASTek machines provide a unique capability to dramatically increase scrap-metal throughput by taking advantage of favorable shipping rates for return of normally-empty containers to overseas locations.

"This second mobile machine builds on the long and successful relationship between ASR and NTS," said Dave Brown, General Manager of the NTS Engineering Services Group. "It provides our customer with an increased ability to service scrap recycling locations that would not normally enjoy the benefit of such a process, and it capitalizes on the unique and efficient fabrication capabilities of NTS' Engineering Services Group."

Fabrication of the FASTek mobile machine will take approximately five months, and delivery of the machine will coincide with the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries 2012 Annual Convention and Exposition, to be held in Las Vegas in April. As with previous FASTek machines, the second mobile machine will be fabricated, assembled and tested at NTS' Engineering Services headquarters in Albuquerque, NM.

(A photo of the FASTek Mobile Loading Machine is available upon request.)  

About ASR
Advanced Steel Recovery is a forward-looking scrap metal recycling company headquartered in Southern California. Advanced Steel Recovery invented and patented FASTek, the world's first machine designed to fully automate the containerization of scrap metal. In 2010, the Journal of Commerce ranked Advanced Steel Recovery as America's 33rd largest exporter of container cargo, among the top two for containerized, ferrous scrap.

Through its implementation of FASTek, Advanced Steel Recovery has created a global network of scrap suppliers, steel mills and container shipping lines, providing scrap suppliers a turnkey export solution.

About National Technical Systems
National Technical Systems, Inc. (NTS) is a leading provider of testing and engineering services to the aerospace, defense, telecommunications, automotive and high technology markets. Through a world-wide network of resources, NTS provides full product life-cycle support, offering world class design engineering, compliance, testing, certification, quality registration and program management. For additional information about NTS, visit the Company's website at www.nts.com or call 800-270-2516.

Forward-Looking Statements
The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for services and products, development of markets for the Company's services and products and other risks identified in the Company's SEC filings.  Actual results, events and performance may differ materially and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding National Technical Systems' business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

SOURCE National Technical Systems Inc.