Senator's Staff Visits Massachusetts Company to See Promising New Technologies

    CHELMSFORD, Mass.--March 23, 2001--Triton Systems, Inc. (TSI) of Chelmsford, MA received a Congressional visit from the Democratic staffers of the Senate Committee on Small Business (of which Senator John Kerry is the Ranking Member) on Friday, March 16, 2001. Ms. Patricia Forbes, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel, Mr. Jere Glover, Counsel, and Ms. Kevin Wheeler, Legislative Assistant, visited with TSI to see how the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program have helped TSI create innovative new technologies and become a successful growing company.
    Triton Systems, Inc. (TSI) is a leading materials product and process development firm dedicated to creating novel technology for high-growth markets. Triton uses funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) SBIR program to develop materials for use by the Army, Navy and Air Force, and other Government agencies such as NASA and Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO). The technology is later available for use in commercial markets. With an annual budget of over $1 billion, the SBIR program is the largest source of early-stage R&D financing in the world. The STTR program facilitates collaboration between small businesses and universities and fosters technology transfer of cutting-edge research from the labs to market. These programs are highly competitive, with only about one in eight SBIR awards getting funded. Triton has won over 100 SBIR/STTR awards.
    While at TSI, Senator Kerry's staff saw examples of how TSI is transitioning technology to the commercial marketplace including electrically conductive material for the semiconductor and space markets, abrasion and chemical resistant coatings for eyewear, nanomaterials for commercial footwear and longer-life food packaging, and metal matrix composites for use in aerospace and automotive applications.
    The visitors toured several TSI laboratories and spoke with TSI employees about the company. Jere Glover stated, "You have no idea what it means for us to see this. Senator Kerry fights for small businesses by writing and passing good legislation in touch with the needs of small businesses. It's rewarding and helpful to see first hand the real evidence of these impact public-private partnerships. This is exactly what Senator Kerry envisioned, and successes of companies like Triton are why Senator Kerry went to bat to save the SBIR program last year and will do the same for STTR this year."
    Innovations initiated by SBIR programs and developed at TSI recently led to the spin-off of three new companies:

    TriBond, Inc. - based on a TSI patented induction welding/sealing process (SmartBond(TM)), uses a family of materials that generate heat when exposed to radio frequency (RF) radiation. Unlike other heating systems that externally transfer heat from an energy source, SmartBond(TM) technology is designed to deliver heat only where it is necessary, enabling precision joining and heating of complex structures. An example of TriBond's unique technology permits aircraft manufacturers to replace metal rivets, long an area of safety and weight concerns, with a smooth plastic weld between two composite parts. SmartBond(TM) also permits mechanics to repair these parts without complex tooling.

    Elecon, Inc. - was established using TOR(TM)-CP another TSI technology. TOR(TM)-CP is a highly stable electrically conductive polymer ideal for applications such as anti-static coatings, LEDs, fuel cells, batteries and a wide range of electronic applications.

    Sensera, Inc. - is focused on producing chemical and biological sensors to monitor and detect bio-contamination in liquid or air. Sensera's sensors are based on a derivative of TSI's conductive polymers linked to bio-active receptors. Applications include water and food monitoring, drug discovery and clinical applications.

    Triton Systems, Inc. is a leading materials product and process development firm that creates innovative products in emerging materials markets. Triton's success is based on understanding its customers' needs and envisioning simple solutions to complex problems. The company is privately financed and has been profitable every year since its founding in 1992.