FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
April 7, 2006
Contact: Jerome N. “Jerry” Harris
Director of
Strategic Marketing
Applied Technology Associates
1300 Britt St SE
Albuquerque, NM 87123 USA
Phone: (505) 767-1235
E-mail:
jharris@aptec.com
APPLIED TECHNOLOGY
ASSOCIATES
TURNS 30
ALBUQUERQUE,
NM
--
Applied Technology Associates (ATA) is
celebrating 30 years of business since its founding in 1975.
The celebration will be
highlighted by a party at its headquarters in Sandia Science and Technology
Park on Friday afternoon, August 26th. Anthony Tenorio, President and CEO of
ATA, has planned the festivities to include keynote speakers, catered food,
a mariachi band, souvenirs, tours of ATA facilities, and exhibits of ATA
history and accomplishments. Invitations have been sent to all current and
former employees, neighbors, business associates, and friends. Speakers are
to include Congresswoman Heather Wilson, Sandia National Lab’s Lenny
Martinez, and others.
Established in 1975 as a
provider of R&D services and support to the airborne laser lab, the company
expanded its capabilities into data acquisition and data analysis systems,
hardware and software systems development and advanced optical systems
emphasizing directed energy and laser applications. The company’s technical
expertise evolved to become the definitive core of ATA success in precision
sensing, measurement, and control. ATA has excelled at solving technical
problems which other companies deemed too difficult.
In the mid-1980’s ATA
invented the MHD sensors which are now used in automotive crash testing,
vibration measurements for line-of-sight stabilization, and in precision
motion control systems. The ATA Sensors group was established as a
commercial products group in 1994. Since 1998, ATA MHD sensors have been
built in space qualified versions and ATA has supplied sensor packages for
the GOES earth imaging satellites, JAXA (Japanese Space Agency) ALOS earth
imaging satellite, and other spacecraft systems built by Sandia Nation
Laboratories, Raytheon, Boeing and others.
During the past four years,
ATA has pushed the state-of-the-art to new levels in optical IRUs,
stabilized platforms which create an artificial star in the field of view of
long-range optical systems which provide ultra-precise inertial pointing
knowledge and stabilization of the optical systems. ATA develops the optical
IRUs using its unique sensors, actuators, Kalman filter algorithms, and real
time control systems. Work in this area has led to development of very high
performance fast steering mirrors, active optical components which are used
to correct for vibrations and non-linearities in directed energy and free
space laser communications. The company is actively involved in creation of
systems for land-based, airborne and space systems.
The company’s most recent
offering in 2005 has been into aerospace integration and testing, a business
area announced this month which will precipitate expansion of ATA
facilities. ATA will leverage its expertise in product testing to provide
test and qualification services to aerospace companies in the New Mexico and
the Southwest. This service is unique to New Mexico and brings support
capabilities to the area that are essential to New Mexico’s budding
aerospace business base.
In addition to the products
developed for directed energy and aerospace systems, ATA continues to
provide unparalleled R&D support to AFRL DE and VS directorates, leading
efforts in multi-spectral polarimetry, target identification, IR sensor
development and test, and MEMS adaptive optics. The company also supports
AFOTEC, the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center, with training
and testing services under subcontracts with SAIC.
ATA has been unique in
using the SBIR program as a means of initiating new technology projects
which lead to products while meeting critical needs of the DOD community.
The company has had a total of 36 SBIRs (Phase 1 and Phase 2) in its
history, and has used these to initiate development of many products
including sensor and actuator products, IRUs, fast steering mirrors and IMUs
(Inertial Measurement Units). SBIR contracts have been awarded ATA by USAF,
US Navy, US Army, Missile Defense Agency, and NASA.
ATA has enjoyed fast growth
since moving to Sandia Science & Technology Park, and was named the SBA
National Prime Contractor of the Year in 2004 following it’s nomination by
AFRL. ATA also was named the New Mexico Innovator of the Year for 2005 by
New Mexico Business Weekly, and has been named to the New Mexico Flying 40
list of fast growing businesses for the past 4 years. In addition to its
Albuquerque headquarters and development center at 1300 Britt Street SE, ATA
also has facilities on Kirtland AFB, and operates the AFRL North Oscura Peak
Test Facilities on White Sands Missile Range. Additionally the company
provides staff to test Air Force systems at various facilities under
contract to AFOTEC.
ATA employs a staff of 75
people and has enjoyed a growth rate of approximately 25 percent each of the
past two years. The company has acquired additional real estate adjacent to
its Britt Street location in Sandia Science and Technology park in order to
support anticipated growth and expansion in 2006-2007. |
30 years 
