AGS AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS has more than 60 years experience in the automotive parts industry. Until 2002, AGS AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS was known as A.G. Simpson Co. Ltd. Following a restructuring that occurred in 2001-2002, A.G. Simpson Co. Ltd. was acquired by J2 Management Corp. and shortly after that began to operate as AGS AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS. AGS has four facilities in Canada – in Oshawa, Toronto, Cambridge and Windsor, Ontario. It also has two locations in the United States, in Sterling Heights, Michigan and in Shreveport, Louisiana.

AGS is a full service supplier, with capabilities in stamping, plating, coating, welding, sequencing and assembly. A majority of AGS’s business is in the supply of impact system assemblies/modules and the balance of its business is comprised of the supply of general stampings and complex welded assemblies. AGS supplies bumper systems and body-in-white structural modules to GM, Chrysler and several Tier 1 customers. AGS’s breadth of operations is quite extensive, and many of its programs span several of our locations in order to provide maximum service and optimal value-add to its customers.

AGS is perhaps best known for its expertise in the design and manufacture of front and rear impact systems. Of special note in this area is its distinctive competency in the chrome plating of bumpers. AGS consistently exceeds appearance and corrosion resistance standards, even on high volume products and as a result, its bumpers have an unsurpassed warranty record. AGS has expended significant resources in research and development in the area of chrome plating over the last several years, notwithstanding the widely held belief in the industry that no further developments in this area were likely. This research and development has borne fruit, enabling AGS over the last several years to pull even further ahead of other suppliers in terms of the quality, corrosion resistance and material reductions of its chrome bumpers. AGS operates multiple chrome plating lines, enabling AGS to support the marketplace with critical backup plating sources. AGS is committed to being a leader in this area and continues to do research and development into enhanced corrosion resistance.

AGS also has a deep competency in the stamping of complex parts and this skill differentiates it from other "stamp and ship" manufacturers. AGS is both a Tier 1 and a Tier 2 supplier of stamped and welded parts. Its equipment and capabilities span a very wide range. AGS has more than 135 stamping presses in its facilities, with capacity up to 2500T, and many of these presses have bed sizes that allow them to accommodate large parts. AGS specializes in large tonnage equipment and a sampling of its stamped products includes: bumper products, cross members, oil pans, control arms, and frame assemblies.

AGS’s new ownership embraced “quality, technology and teamwork” as the three fundamental pillars for its business. Since then, AGS has focused in these areas with strong results. On the quality side, as noted above, no other bumper manufacturer can match the warranty record of AGS. In addition, all of AGS’s six locations in Canada and the United States are TS16949-2002 and ISO14001 compliant. In the area of technology, since 2002 AGS has made strategic investments in innovation and automation, in partnership with the Ontario Government’s OASIS initiative. Regarding teamwork, AGS’s team is very collaborative and all employees are encouraged to develop innovations as they do their jobs and to continuously enhance their skills.

The automotive industry in North America has gone through many challenges and fundamental changes in a few short years and it is obvious that the rate and pace of change are likely to only accelerate. AGS feels that it is well positioned to weather these changes and to be a key player in the new global automotive industry, in light of its dedication to quality, its use of innovative technologies and its commitment to teamwork and collaboration.