On March 3, 2015, Vertex Capital Advisors, LLC announced that it was dismayed to read the February 13, 2015 Axcelis Technologies, Inc. letter to stockholders. Vertex Capital stated that the Company has a storied history of poor operating performance, poor corporate governance, and miserable stockholder returns. In addition, Vertex Capital stated that it was not until the Company was faced with outside stockholder pressure from Vertex at last year's annual meeting of stockholders that the Company's Board of Directors seemed prodded into action.

Further, Vertex Capital stated that many of the ‘bold' actions the Company Board touts in its letter to stockholders appear to have been undertaken in reaction to its involvement and suggestions it made to the Company to create stockholder value. Furthermore, Vertex Capital note that 2 of the newer additions to the Board - Arthur George and Joseph Keithley are questionable choices in its opinion to ensure good corporate governance and straightforward thinking, since both serve as directors of Nordson Corporation, together with the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President, Mary Puma. In addition, Vertex Capital stated that it is unfortunate that the Board has chosen not to meaningfully engage with it on the composition of the Board and has instead decided to drag the Company into a costly and unnecessary proxy contest.