Pat McCluskey

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Pat McCluskey founded ANCA together with Pat Boland in 1974 after developing ideas for computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. Their different skillsets complemented each other and have helped them to develop ANCA into the industry leading, global manufacturer of complex tool grinders that it is today.

McCluskey was at the forefront of the evolution of machinery from manual to numerically controlled (NC) and then computer numerically controlled (CNC). When still at the Ammunition factory in Footscray, where he met Pat Boland in 1968, the two came to specialise in the new technology. McCluskey was in demand around Australia for his skill in converting machines to the new technology.

Today McCluskey is a joint Managing Director of the company and is heavily involved in researching and designing new machines, such as the FX Linear. It is important to him to use his technical expertise to teach young engineers and apprentices at the company. He started his career as an apprentice and likes to support those interested in this career path. He set up the ANCA Apprentice Centre in 2011, and is still involved in its operation.

As someone who prefers to work behind the scenes, McCluskey has ties with academic organisations such as Swinburne University and RMIT, and research agencies such as the CRCs (Co-operative Research Centres). He constantly strives to keep making machines do things better and supports those involved in the industry when the opportunity arises. ANCA as a company has won many innovation and manufacturing awards, McCluskey and Boland also jointly have been awarded ‘engineering hero’ status by the Victorian Government and were inducted in to the AGSE Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame in 2009.

Pat Boland

Co-Founder & Managing Director

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.