Pat Boland, ANCA Co-Founder

Pat Boland is a founder and joint Managing Director of ANCA, a world leading manufacturer of CNC tool grinders. Mr Boland has made an invaluable contribution to the Australian manufacturing sector for over 40 years, leading a business that exports 99% of its products and is renowned by the market as being first with new technology and innovations.
 
Founded in 1974 in Melbourne, where the company still has its global headquarters, ANCA has a global workforce of over 1000 people. It has offices in the UK, Germany, China, Thailand, India, Japan, Brazil and the USA as well as a comprehensive network of representatives and agents worldwide. ANCA supplies to the aerospace, electronics, automotive, medical, woodworking and tool manufacturer industries and services small start-ups to major global businesses such as Boeing, General Electric, Sandvik, ISCAR, Rolls Royce and Johnson and Johnson.
 
Mr Boland has received many industry awards including the ‘engineering hero’ status by the Victorian Government and the 1999 Kernot Memorial Medal by Melbourne University. In 2016 ANCA was inducted into the Australian Export Award Hall of Fame after winning the top accolade three times in 2015, 2012 and 1995. Judges highlighted ANCA’s dedication to innovation and growth, and the company’s strong risk management strategy for intellectual property and skills maintenance.
 
In addition to his active involvement in all aspects of ANCA, Mr Boland is very active in the manufacturing industry and has several patents in the field of machine tools.  He is past President and Director of AMTIL, was a member of the Future Manufacturing Industry Innovation Council and has a first-class Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering from Melbourne University.

Russell Riddiford, ANCA Inc President

For 30 years Russell has held the position of President of ANCA Americas. In this role he is responsible for managing the USA business operations including sales, engineering, business development and aftermarket activities and has excellent relationships with customers developed over his years of service. A founding employee of the USA division, Russell has facilitated the growth of the region, with over 50 employees and subsidiaries in Brazil and Mexico. His team is known for providing a comprehensive service with an in-depth knowledge of the product, assisting with specialist applications and service support. Previously Russell spent over ten years at Sandvik as a Regional Sales Manager in the Cutting Tools Division and was educated in Melbourne in Machine Tool Technology.
 

Darren Fox, ANCA Product Manager

Darren Fox, ANCA Product Manager started his career as an apprentice in the cutting tool industry 33 years ago. During that time, he became familiar with ANCA technology while running one of the first machines - a TG4 and then later on, an RGX.

Darren joined ANCA in 2001 as an Applications Engineer, training customers globally on ANCA machines. He worked at Iscar for 17 years as a Sales Engineer and later a Milling Product Manager of solid carbide and indexable cutting tools - gaining market knowledge of cutting tools on a national and world scale.

In 2020, Darren joined WH Blakeley as National Sales Manager before returning to ANCA in early 2022 as Product Manager.


Steffen Kluth, ANCA Product Manager

In 1998, Steffen started working for a well-known tool measuring machine manufacturer (ZOLLER) on communication to tool grinding machines. At that time, one of the first bi-directional interfaces in tool grinding was developed together with ANCA. With ISBE GmbH and the initiated GDX working group, Steffen was able to actively contribute to shifting the boundaries towards the entire process chain from 2013 onwards. AIMS and thus integrated autonomous production has been the objective of Steffen's new sphere of activity at ANCA since July 2023.


Werner Lueken, Dorector of Tool Inspection Solutions - ZOLLER Inc

Werner Lueken is the Director of Tool Inspection Solutions at ZOLLER Inc and he received an engineering degree in industrial design from the University of Applied Science in Kiel, Germany in 1997. Werner has been with ZOLLER Inc for 19 intense years, where he has worked in many functions but always with a focus on supporting customers in their tool inspection needs. He is passionate about helping cutting tool manufacturers and end users solve their tool geometry challenges and to give reassurance about tool quality, and is recognized as an expert in this field both in the USA and globally.

Chris Chidzik, Principal Economist - AMT

Chris is currently the Principal Economist at AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology where he examines trends in the overall economy that affect the demand for manufacturing technology. For over five years, Chris has managed surveys which compile the data necessary to get a full picture of the U.S. manufacturing landscape.

Prior to AMT, Chris held varied roles in data analytics, research, sales and marketing in an array of industries and settings. Chris holds a master’s degree in economics from The American University.  

Stephen LaMarca, Senior Technology Analyst - AMT

Stephen LaMarca is AMT’s technology analyst and co-host of the AMT Tech Trends podcast. As the star of IMTS Network's Road Trippin' with Steve, he injects humor into technical subjects. He has a background in physics and a passion for all things mechanical, namely automobiles, clocks, and wristwatches.

Jack Conley, Founder, Midwest Accurate Grinding Service, Inc. 

Jack had several stints in the tool sharpening arena for various companies in and around Chicago.
He tried his hand at selling new tools as well for Central Cutting Tools but frustration soon set in and he decided to go it alone by creating “Accurate Grinding” in 1969. Later incorporating as Midwest Accurate in 1972. The business moved out of his Dolton, Illinois garage in 1974 to a store front building in neighboring Riverdale. By 1994 this location had no room left to grow and a new facility and address just over the State line in Lowell Indiana was secured. Present day operations of cutting tool manufacturing and reconditioning for regional, national, and a few international customers are ongoing at this site.