CHICAGO, IL, and PHILADELPHIA, PA--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2012) - Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: [ MEI ]) and AgileSwitch, LLC announced today a marketing and technology partnership. As part of this agreement, AgileSwitch, LLC will provide leading edge IGBT gate drives which provide the highest performance for energy conversion inverters and systems. Methode Electronics' Power Solution Group will supply state-of-the-art bus bar architectures and thermal management solutions in combination with local design capabilities and global manufacturing. Methode's Electronics, Inc. has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and China.

Together, the two companies are creating fully integrated sub-system solutions for the power electronics industry.

Speaking about the partnership, AgileSwitch President and CEO Rob Weber commented, "AgileSwitch is delighted to team with a global leader in bus bar architectures and cooling solutions to bring the next generation of power stacks to the market. This agreement will allow our two organizations to provide innovative solutions to renewable energy applications such as solar, photovoltaic, wind, hybrid electric and electric vehicles, as well as high capacity uninterrupted power supply and efficient motor drives."

Methode Electronics' Power Solutions Group General Manager Andrew Urda commented, "Methode Electronics' Power Solutions Group and AgileSwitch can now provide the power electronics industry with new, innovative, high-efficiency integrated power distribution solutions. Our combined solution will provide customers a next generation solution -- today."

About Methode Electronics

Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: [ MEI ]) is a global developer of custom engineered and application specific products and solutions with manufacturing, design and testing facilities in China, Germany, India, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Methode designs manufactures and markets devices employing electrical, electronic, wireless, safety radio remote control, sensing and optical technologies to control and convey signals through sensors, interconnections and controls. Our business is managed on a segment basis, with those segments being Automotive, Interconnect, Power Products and Other. Our components are in the primary end markets of the automobile, computer, information processing and networking equipment, voice and data communication systems, consumer electronics, appliances, aerospace vehicles and industrial equipment industries. Further information can be found at Methode's website at [ www.methode.com ].

About AGILESWITCH

AgileSwitch is developing transformative technology that dramatically improves the performance and efficiency of drivers for IGBT switches. IGBTs are used in a variety of power converters including solar inverters, wind turbines, motor drives, UPS, industrial machines, HEV, traction and power distribution.

Power converters have been incrementally improved over recent decades and have reached the point where a large effort is needed to achieve a small gain in performance or efficiency. The Company's technologies can help significantly cut power loss in some applications and provide substantial performance benefits in powering most electronic equipment.

The Company's technologies are specifically targeted toward converters for systems focused on renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, smart grid, HEV) as well as other mission critical applications (e.g. traction, UPS). Please visit [ www.AgileSwitch.com ] for more information.