Interview with Steve Lees, AT.E. Solutions Ltd.

When British company A.T.E. Solutions was looking for a new owner, the requirements were clear. B&B's corporate culture and ambition to be a long-term owner were decisive factors for the previous owner. Now the ambition is to grow further through acquisitions and a broader market.

A.T.E. Solutions is a market-leading supplier of automated test equipment in the UK. Founded in 1988, the company has successfully combined applications and service. Today, it is one of the few companies that provides a complete test solution for checking circuit boards, which are often a critical component in many products. Its customers include manufacturers with high testing requirements in the defense, aviation, and electrical power industries, among others.

Integrity and honesty

When A.T.E. Solutions was looking for a buyer, they picked B&B, mainly because of B&B's ambition for long-term ownership combined with a corporate culture similar to their own.

Steve Lees, technical director and former principal owner of A.T.E. Solutions, highlights B&B's integrity and honesty as what he likes most. This is because it creates a straightforward relationship between A.T.E. and B&B, where they know exactly where they stand.

“The deal has been well received by our employees, who, as a result of the acquisition, can see a long-term future within the company. There have been no major organizational changes since the takeover, but a big advantage of being part of B&B is that we will be able to grow further through acquisitions”, says Steve Lees.

More markets

A.T.E. Solutions is one of very few companies that provides a complete testing solution to manufacturers. This includes the design and construction of A.T.E. systems, fixtures, test software, service, and support for older equipment.

Verifying that the signals in a circuit board are working perfectly is crucial to the functionality of a product, for example in an aircraft. So a manufacturer designing a technically advanced product needs A.T.E.'s test equipment to ensure that the built-in circuit board will work as intended. A.T.E.'s test equipment can, for example, check that a circuit board responds when stimulated by a side system. Certain equipment can test signals with a mixture of analog, digital, or high-current stimulation.

Going forward, the goal is to continue strengthening the business unit's leading position in the UK, but also to bring A.T.E. Solutions' complete offering to more markets.