8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 15, 2007

MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Minnesota	0-2382	41-0908057
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
14000 Technology Drive
Eden Prairie, Minnesota		55344
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (952) 937-4000

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 5.02.   Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On December 15, 2007 the Board of Directors of MTS Systems Corporation (the “Company”) elected Laura B. Hamilton as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, in addition to her current position as President. She will also continue as a director on the Company’s Board of Directors. The election was announced by the Company on December 18, 2007 and will be effective January 15, 2008.

Ms. Hamilton, 46, has been President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a member of the Board of Directors since June 2007, was Senior Vice President of the Company’s Test business from 2003 until 2007, Vice President, Material Testing, Aerospace, and Test Manufacturing Operations for the Company from 2000 until 2002 and Director of Business Process Improvement from 1999 until 2000.

Sidney W. Emery, Jr. will continue with the Company in his capacity as Chairman of the Board through the end of fiscal 2008.

Effective January 15, 2008, in connection with her election to serve as Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Hamilton’s salary will be increased to $400,000. There has been no change to Ms. Hamilton’s other compensation although the Board may consider other changes following commencement of her new duties.

Item 9.01.   Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)   Exhibits

99.1 – Press Release issued on December 18, 2007.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

	MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION
	(Registrant)
Date:   December 19, 2007	By:	/s/ SIDNEY W. EMERY, JR.
		Sidney W. Emery, Jr.
		Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

MTS SYSTEMS CORPORATION

FORM 8-K REPORT

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.	Description
99.1	Press Release issued on December 18, 2007.

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

MTS Systems Corporation 14000 Technology Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344-2290 Telephone 952-937-4000
Fax 952-937-4515

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2007 For More Information Contact: Sidney W. Emery, Jr., Chairman and CEO
(952) 937-4000

MTS Names Laura Hamilton Chief Executive Officer

Sidney Emery continues as Chairman of the Board

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, December 18, 2007 – MTS Systems Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC) today announced that its Board of Directors has elected Laura B. Hamilton to the position of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Sidney W. Emery, Jr. effective as of the Company’s annual meeting on January 15, 2008. Hamilton has served as the Company’s President and Chief Operating Officer since June 2007. Emery will continue in his capacity as Chairman of the Board through the end of fiscal 2008.

“Since joining MTS in 1999, Laura has demonstrated the foresight, leadership and management skills that, in our view, make her the ideal individual to lead the Company forward,” Emery said. “She played a key role in developing and implementing the Company’s strategy of global leadership in mechanical testing solutions and as COO has also overseen the expansion of our sensors business.”

Hamilton, 46, served as the Company’s Senior Vice President in charge of its Test Segment from 2003 until June, 2007. Prior to that, she was Vice President of the Company’s Materials and Aerospace Divisions from 2000 until 2002 and Director of Business Process Improvement from 1999 to 2000. Before joining MTS, Hamilton held various management positions with Quest Diagnostics, a national clinical laboratory, from 1995 until 1999, and with Corning, Inc., from 1989 until 1995.

“In the 10 years he has served as our chief executive, Chip Emery has focused the Company on our core competencies, built a top notch team to leverage them and expanded MTS’ global reach. The results delivered by MTS employees under Emery’s leadership have been exceptional for customers and shareowners alike,” said Jean-Lou Chameau, MTS’ lead independent director. “We are most appreciative of Chip’s many contributions, including an outstanding succession planning process. He passes to Laura a healthy, innovative company with solid industry and shareowner credentials as well as being a great place to work.”

About MTS Systems Corporation

MTS Systems Corporation is a leading global supplier of test systems and industrial position sensors. The Company’s testing hardware and software solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design, development, and manufacturing processes and are used for determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products, and structures. MTS’ high-performance position sensors provide controls for a variety of industrial and vehicular applications. MTS had 1,618 employees and revenue of $421 million for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2007. Additional information on MTS can be found on the worldwide web at http://www.mts.com.

MTS News Release
Page 2

This release contains “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions, that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition to the factors discussed above, other important risk factors are delineated in the Company’s most recent SEC Form 10-Q and 10-K filings.