A Georgia-based tech company has acquired ACTA Inc., an aerospace engineering firm based in Torrance, company officials announced last week.

Advanced Core Concepts or ACC, a privately owned company in Warner Robins, Ga., purchased the privately owned ACTA for an undisclosed sum.

“ACTA is pleased to be part of ACC,” said James Hudson, co-founder and president of the 35-year-old defense firm with offices in Torrance and Lompoc, in a statement. “ACC is a highly regarded company with an excellent reputation and leadership team.”

ACTA evaluates firing range safety hazards and risk from space launch vehicle debris, blast, fire and toxic gases for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA and public agencies and petrochemical firms worldwide.

Its 20 employees specialize in complex risk mitigation analysis for operations that include space launches and chemical and nuclear material processing. The company also develops specialized software for engineering solutions that require mathematical modeling.

The acquisition will enable ACC to bolster its position as a provider of analytical engineering, software development services and technical support for the Department of Defense, company officials say.

The merger follows the recent appointment of Richard Matlock, a former executive of advance technology for the defense department’s Missile Defense Agency, to ACC’s board of advisors.

The newly combined company will employ 260 workers. Trase Travers, chief executive of ACC, will head the firm. Hudson will serve as president of the ACTA, which will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, which will keep its main office in Torrance.

“In ACTA, we have acquired a partner with world-class capabilities and a strong record across a range of programs of national significance,” Travers said in a statement.

– Dana Bartholomew