Allen-Vanguard announces appointment of John Lawlor as Vice President, Corporate Relations

    Seasoned investor relations veteran from Cognos joins Allen Vanguard

    OTTAWA, April 2 /CNW Telbec/ - Allen-Vanguard Corporation (the "Company"
or "Allen-Vanguard") (TSX: VRS) of Ottawa, Canada is pleased to announce that
Mr. John Lawlor, formerly Vice President, Corporate Relations at Cognos, has
joined Allen Vanguard as Vice President, Corporate Relations.
    "With our new scale following the acquisition of Med-Eng Systems Inc. we
stated that we would continue to evolve the management team," said
David E. Luxton, President and CEO. "That includes upgrading our ability to
communicate effectively with investors, and we are delighted to have someone
of John's reputation join us at a time when we will soon be shaping the next
phase of our strategic messaging and understanding of the Company to the
global investment community."
    At Cognos, Mr. Lawlor established a strong reputation for accessibility
and consistent, open communication with the North American investment
community. He was also highly effective at growing the research analyst
following, which in turn was instrumental in helping the market understand and
fully value the company.
    "Allen Vanguard has a sustainable business with significant growth
potential and we need to improve the understanding of the Company by the
capital markets in order to achieve a fair valuation," commented Mr. Luxton.
"This is a high priority for us and we look forward to the contribution that
John will make to this important effort with current and prospective
institutional investors and analysts."

    Allen Vanguard

    Forward looking statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements, which reflect
Allen-Vanguard's current expectations regarding future events, its strategy,
expected performance and condition. Forward-looking statements include
statements that are predictive in nature, that depend upon or refer to future
events or conditions, or that include words such as "expects," "anticipates,"
"plans," "believes," "estimates" or negative versions thereof and similar
expressions. In addition, any statement that may be made concerning future
performance, strategies or prospects, and possible future acquisitions or
dispositions, is also a forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements
are based on current expectations and projections about future events and are
inherently subject to, among other things, risks, uncertainties and
assumptions about the Company and economic factors. Forward-looking statements
are not promises or guarantees of future performance, and actual events and
results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in any
forward-looking statements made about the Company. Any number of important
factors could contribute to these digressions, including, but not limited to,
general economic, political and market factors in North America and
internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and
capital markets, business competition, technological change, changes in
government regulations, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, and
catastrophic events. We stress that the above-mentioned list of important
factors is not exhaustive. We encourage you to consider these and other
factors carefully before making any investment decision and we urge you to
avoid placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Further, you
should be aware that the Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update
or revise any such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise, prior to the release of the next
Management Discussion and Analysis to be released by the Company or except as
required by law .

    About Allen-Vanguard

    Allen-Vanguard Corporation supports the mission of military and homeland
security forces around the world with leading proprietary solutions for
protection and counter-measures against hazardous devices of all kinds,
whether chemical, biological, radiological or explosive (CBRNE), including
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and remotely controlled IEDs (RCIEDs).
Allen-Vanguard equipment is in service in more than 120 countries. Products
include Electronic Counter-Measures ("ECM") equipment for jamming remote
detonation of terrorist devices, specialty security equipment for Explosive
Ordnance Disposal ("EOD"), remote intervention robots for hazardous
applications, and personal protective wear for use in dealing with explosive
and bio-chemical agents. Allen-Vanguard is the developer and/or sole,
worldwide licensee of proprietary technologies such as the Med-Eng bomb suit,
the DefenderTM and Vanguard TM Mk2 bomb disposal robots, and the Universal
Containment System and CASCAD Foam system for blast mitigation and
decontamination of bio-chemical warfare agents. Professional services
encompass counter-IED intelligence, training and advisory services, including
the TritonTM Report on terrorist incidents around the world. The Company
operates globally through its wholly-owned subsidiaries under the names
"Allen-Vanguard", "Med-Eng" and "Hazard Management Solutions". Head office
operations are located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with manufacturing
operations in Stoney Creek and Pembroke, Ontario; Ogdensburg, New York;
Tewkesbury, U.K.; and Cork, Ireland; The Company has professional services
operations in Shrivenham, UK, Canada and in the U.S. in Arlington, Virginia,
plus sales offices in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Asia. Allen-Vanguard's
shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol "VRS".

    To find out more about Allen-Vanguard Corporation (TSX: VRS), visit our
website at www.allen-vanguard.com.
    %SEDAR: 00018026E

For further information: David E. Luxton, President & CEO, (613)

john.lawlor@allenvanguard.com