ATS Global and PA Solutions Company Profile: Two Companies, Services and Leadership
Updated: 7 days ago
ATS Global and PA Solutions are two different businesses that are easily confused: ATS Global is an independent manufacturing IT provider established in 1986, while PA Solutions is a division of the Canadian automation company ATS. This profile describes each and explains the difference.
At a Glance
Fact | ATS Global | PA Solutions |
What it is | Provider of manufacturing IT, software and consultancy | Systems integrator for manufacturing |
Belongs to | Not stated; led by its founders at board level | ATS Automation, the Canadian ATS Corporation |
Established | 1986 | Not stated |
Named location | Not stated | Warren, Michigan, USA |
Main customers | Manufacturers adopting digital systems | Vehicle makers and suppliers in transportation and aerospace |
ATS Global
ATS Global was established in 1986 by Mike James and Hans Damman, who remain chair and vice-chair of its board. It helps manufacturers connect factory equipment with business systems.
Services and products
Consultancy and digital transformation programs.
Low-code and no-code applications.
Cyber security.
Support around the clock.
Training and workshops.
Software products: ATS Inspect, ATS CM4D and ATS Bus.
Data center solutions.
Leadership
Name | Role |
Kevin Partington | Chief Executive Officer |
Deborah Pritchard | Group Treasurer |
Mike James | Chair of the Board of Directors |
Hans Damman | Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors |
PA Solutions
PA Solutions, Inc. is described in the company's own recruitment material as a global division of ATS Automation that helps customers automate their manufacturing as a tooling systems integrator. It works with global vehicle makers and their suppliers in the transportation and aerospace industries, and has a site in Warren, Michigan.
Background: ATS and process automation
ATS Automation, now ATS Corporation, entered this field on a large scale in 2014, when it agreed to buy M+W Process Automation of Germany for an enterprise value of about EUR 248 million. That business had about 1,000 employees, some 750 of them engineers, at 51 locations in 16 countries, and revenue of about EUR 166 million in 2013. Automotive customers accounted for 41% of its sales, chemicals for 26% and pharmaceuticals and biotechnology for 13%. Its services were process control, software integration, manufacturing execution systems, remote monitoring and lifecycle management.
The sources used for this profile do not state in so many words that PA Solutions is the continuation of M+W Process Automation, so the link is given here as background and not as an established fact.
How to Tell Them Apart
ATS Global uses the web address ats-global.com and sells software such as ATS Inspect.
ATS Corporation, formerly ATS Automation Tooling Systems, is a listed Canadian company based in Cambridge, Ontario. PA Solutions is one of its divisions.
The two share three letters and a field of work, but the sources used show no ownership link between them.
What Is Not Covered
For ATS Global: headquarters, ownership, employee numbers and sales. For PA Solutions: founding year, headquarters, employee numbers and sales. None of these is stated in the sources used.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
ATS Global: nearly four decades in manufacturing IT, with its own software products and founders still on the board.
PA Solutions: the backing of a large listed automation group and a base among vehicle makers.
Challenges
ATS Global: a field crowded with large software vendors and consultancies.
PA Solutions: dependence on investment by the transportation industry.
Both: a name that invites confusion with the other.
ATS Global and PA Solutions FAQ
Is ATS Global the same as ATS Corporation?
No. They are separate companies. The sources used show no ownership link.
Who owns PA Solutions?
PA Solutions is a division of ATS Automation, the Canadian company now called ATS Corporation.
What does ATS Global do?
It provides consultancy, software and support for manufacturing IT and digital transformation.
When was ATS Global established?
In 1986, by Mike James and Hans Damman.
Who is the CEO of ATS Global?
Kevin Partington.
What does PA Solutions do?
It integrates automated manufacturing systems for vehicle makers and suppliers in transportation and aerospace.
