Founders tend to leave fingerprints on everything they touch. Bob Little is no exception.
Long before ATI became part of Novanta, Bob built a company grounded in precision engineering and real-world problem solving. ATI didn’t just participate in the robotics and automation space. It helped define it.
When ATI joined Novanta, it marked more than an acquisition. It marked the integration of a founder-led culture that valued technical rigor, customer intimacy, and practical innovation.
That influence shows up in how we operate today.
Bob consistently pushed us to think beyond components and toward complete solutions. He understood that performance in robotics is not theoretical. It is measured in uptime, throughput, safety, and repeatability. That mindset continues to shape how we approach product development and customer partnerships.
His tenure also coincided with a major shift in the industry. Robotics moved from traditional industrial use cases into new frontiers, including AI-driven applications and advanced automation systems. Bob stayed close to these shifts, helping position our Robotics & Automation business to participate in what’s next.
At the same time, his leadership style was unmistakable. Direct, opinionated, and deeply rooted in experience, he brought a founder’s perspective into a scaled organization. That perspective is not always comfortable, but it is often necessary.
Moments like his retirement event reflected that complexity. It wasn’t polished or scripted. It was real. And in many ways, that authenticity is part of his legacy.
As Bob moves into his next chapter, including continued work in the robotics and automation space, his influence remains embedded in our business.
We are building on a foundation that values innovation with purpose, deep application expertise, and long-term customer partnerships.
That foundation has Bob’s fingerprints all over it.