Steed Technology Announces Acquisition of Applied Technology Specialists, Inc. (ATSI)

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Steed Technology, a leading provider of Thermal Processing Equipment for the Semiconductor, LED and Solar Industry, today announced that they have acquired all of the outstanding stock of Applied Technology Specialists, Inc. (ATSI), an advanced Engineering firm that specializes in developing advanced pollution control equipment and technology to render safe Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and toxic exhaust gases found in high tech industries.

As part of the acquisition, both companies will share the Steed name. The manufacturing of all products will remain in Northern California with research and development of new products and technologies remaining in Oklahoma. Sales channels will be expanded both domestically and internationally to accommodate existing and new customers, focusing on regions with new air quality restrictions.

With the acquisition, Steed will be dramatically stepping up its product offering through the incorporation of the ATSI EcoGuard® line of "Point of Use" (PoU) gas abatement / scrubber and pollution control equipment. Steed is currently working to combine these technologies to work in unison. Customers of Steed and ATSI will soon be able to purchase diffusion/LPCVD process and abatement equipment as a totally integrated system with onboard environmental control features developed by ATSI. Customers of both companies can count on receiving the same renowned service and support Steed and ATSI have built their reputations upon for all new products and offerings. 

With new, increasingly strict, environmental regulations such as the "Greenhouse" law (AB32), many companies in the Semiconductor, LED, Solar and other industries are closely examining ways to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their current abatement systems. Environmental control will play a major roll with manufacturing companies in the years ahead. To help meet this need Steed will, in addition to offering products that help companies meet such strict requirements, offer Green consulting and solutions services to help companies dramatically reduce emissions of gasses such as Perfluorocarbons (PFC's), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx), and Carbon dioxide (CO2), to levels that comply with local and federal laws, while reducing consumption of utilities such as fuel and water. The merger adds considerable value to this consulting service through the addition of the ATSI solutions team with a combined 50 years of Gas Abatement and clean-air solutions experience.

Existing abatement solutions aim to scrub then dispose of hazardous by-products created during the production of LCD, Semiconductor and Solar products. With increasing regulations, and the high cost associated with utilities such as power and water the common "wet scrubbers" and "chemical adsorption" methods utilized by such technologies have become inefficient. Steed's EcoGuard products are designed to destroy and eliminate hazardous by-products, vs. capturing the by-products for further, costly, hazardous waste disposal. Steeds abatement product line also offers a low-operating-cost solution for process and abatement savings through an innovation known as the "On-Demand" Control Program. Using sensor-driven process signals, operators can control the type of abatement required for the particular gas and only use what is necessary to abate and emit clean air to the environment.

"This is certainly a win-win for both Steed and ATSI, and even more so for our existing and prospective customers," said Gerry Catalano, President and CEO of Steed Technology. "These companies face steep and complex challenges when working with separate vendors and technologies while trying to piece together environmentally responsible solutions to the toxic and harmful exhaust created in their manufacturing process. High tech companies will face tougher standards in the future and will need advanced abatement equipment to be in compliance."

"ATSI is very excited about this Merger. The technology we have developed for the EcoGuard product line provides our customers with extremely reliable and efficient exhaust gas treatment solutions that conform to regulatory limits," said Earl Vickery, CTO of Steed Technology. "EcoGuard products set themselves apart from existing technologies in many ways, including the fact that they do not a require a bypass line, because they are specifically designed to prevent by-product solids from building-up within the abatement system. Existing brands require a bypass and may still clog over time, regardless of preventive maintenance."

About Steed Technology

Steed Technology is a leading provider of Thermal Processing Equipment and Environmentally Responsible "Point of Use" (PoU) Gas Abatement Solutions for the Semiconductor, LCD and Solar Industries. Our valued customers, who include the biggest names in these industries, rely on Steed to deliver best-in-class technology for their manufacturing processes. With over 50 years of combined experience in the IC process industries, Steed prides itself on delivering products of unsurpassed quality, and providing advanced levels of service and support. www.steedtech.com

SOURCE Steed Technology