ATS Strengthens Leadership of Automation Business with Two Key Executive Appointments

CAMBRIDGE, ON, Aug. 8 /CNW/ - ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. today announced the appointment of two experienced senior executives to lead the Company's automation systems operations, its core business.

President and Chief Operating Officer, ASG
Effective September 11, 2007, James Rowan will join the Company as President and Chief Operating Officer of Automation Systems Group (ASG). During his successful 25 year career, Mr. Rowan held progressively senior executive positions in a number of large-scale, global corporations in Canada and Europe, including Flextronics International, a leading vertically-integrated electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, headquartered in Singapore. While at Flextronics, he served as Managing Director, UK Operations and, later, as Vice-President, European Operations with overall responsibility for Europe, reporting directly to the global Chief Operating Officer. In this position, Mr. Rowan managed a network of manufacturing facilities across Europe and close to 17,000 employees. During his tenure, Flextronics grew from $500 million in sales to over $16 billion, becoming an undisputed global leader in the EMS industry. More recently, Mr. Rowan served as Executive Vice-President, Global Operations at Celestica Corporation, with responsibility for the performance of 26 factories employing close to 50,000 people in 15 countries. He has a background in engineering in his native Scotland and earlier in his career, was a successful entrepreneur delivering custom prototyping for global manufacturers.

Mr. Rowan assumes leadership responsibility for Automation Systems Group, a multinational provider of automation solutions employing approximately 2200 skilled employees in 10 countries.

He will report to Ron Jutras, ATS Chief Executive Officer. In announcing Mr. Rowan's appointment, Mr. Jutras said: ‘‘In recruiting for this key role, we sought out a strong, globally experienced manufacturing executive with a proven track record of performance in complex organizations. In Jim Rowan, we've found exactly what we sought. Jim brings outstanding leadership skills, a global mindset and a quarter century of worldwide experience gained in serving large, sophisticated multinational manufacturing businesses. He makes a great addition to our much improved executive management team and I am confident he will help us to achieve our vision of becoming the world's best automation solutions provider.’‘

President, ASG Operations Europe and Asia
The Company is also pleased to announce that ATS veteran Bruce Seeley is assuming the newly-created role of ASG President, Europe and Asia.

In this new role, Mr. Seeley assumes leadership responsibility for nine ASG manufacturing operations in Asia and Europe in addition to the Company's REM operations in Cambridge, Ontario. Mr. Seeley has served ATS for the past 13 years, primarily as Vice President, Precision Components Group (PCG) and since June, 2007 was interim Chief Operating Officer of ASG. Mr. Seeley has amassed extensive experience in advanced manufacturing during his 27 year career. Under his leadership, PCG successfully implemented a number of continuous improvement programs including Six Sigma, achieved internationally-recognized quality standards and recently expanded operations to China. Mr. Seeley was also responsible for the successful launch and expansion of the Company's REM business and has achieved improved cross regional cooperation and collaboration in both ASG and REM operations over the past year. Mr. Seeley will continue to act in an advisory capacity to PCG until the business is divested.

In commenting on Mr. Seeley's appointment, Mr. Jutras said: ‘‘Bruce has been an invaluable member of the ATS family for many years and has consistently demonstrated the strength of leadership and discipline necessary to drive performance improvement. He firmly understands the needs of our customers, employees and shareholders and is well known by our regional ASG executives. Bruce will make an outstanding partner for Jim in managing our worldwide operations.’‘

ASG's now-enlarged leadership team has a clear mandate to strengthen the performance of the Company's core operations, enter new markets for automation, build the trusted ATS global brand and further develop the talents and experience of its valued employees.

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Going forward, recruiting for the vacant role of ASG President, North America is a key priority for the new management team, and an executive search to identify suitable candidates is currently underway.

About ATS
ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. provides innovative, custom designed, built and installed manufacturing solutions to many of the world's most successful companies. Founded in 1978, ATS uses its industry-leading knowledge and global capabilities to serve the sophisticated automation systems' needs of multinational customers in industries such as healthcare, computer/electronics, automotive and consumer products. It also leverages its many years of repetitive manufacturing experience and skills to fulfill the specialized repetitive equipment manufacturing requirements of customers. Through its solar business, ATS participates in the growing solar energy industry and through its precision components business it produces, in high volume, precision components and subassemblies. ATS employs approximately 3,500 people at 24 manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Europe, southeast Asia and China. The Company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ATA. Visit the Company's website at www.atsautomation.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (‘‘forward-looking statements’‘). Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of ATS or its employees, or developments in ATS's business or in its industry, to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance, achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that is based on courses of action and assumptions about future economic conditions. Forward-looking statements may also include, without limitation, any statement relating to future events, conditions or circumstances. ATS cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Forward-looking statements relate to, among other things: Mr. Rowan assuming the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of ASG; Mr. Seeley assuming the newly-created role of ASG President, Europe and Asia; ATS becoming the world's best automation solutions provider; the Company strengthening the performance of its core operations, entering new markets for automation, building the ATS global brand and further developing its employees; and recruiting an individual for the role of ASG President, North America. The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the ability of Mr. Rowan and Mr. Seeley to function effectively in their new roles with ATS; the ability of the leadership team to strengthen the performance of the core operations of ATS; the ability of ATS to enter new markets for its automation products; the ability of ATS to maintain and build its multinational customer base; the ability of ATS to maintain and further build its global brand; the success ATS has in further developing the talent of its employees; and other risks detailed from time to time in ATS's filings with Canadian provincial securities regulators. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions, and ATS does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change.