Ross Nicholls Celebrates 30 Years With MNL
Having served 30 years with MNL we take a look at the last 30 years with Ross Nicholls in our team.
1986
At the age of 14 years old Ross always knew he wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps and work at Malcolm Nicholls Ltd. Starting at weekends helping to clean the workshop he started to develop a real insight into the world of traditional model making.
In 1986 Ross went to Canterbury University and alongside studying for his degree he helped with CNC programming, having finished university with his degree it was a natural step to join the team.
1989
Leading The Way In Rapid Prototyping From The Very Beginning
Ross joined the MNL team full time working alongside Malcolm and the team in the workshop learning the ropes with tradtional model making and finishing.
Having always enjoyed the technical aspect Ross managed the CNC programming and started to look and explore new technologies and in 1996 he bought the companies first SLA machine.
With only a small handful of companies in the UK looking at SLA technology Ross knew from the start he wanted the business to be pioneers in Rapid Prototyping, always searching for new and innovative ways to help clients fulfil projects that are cost effective and time efficient they purchased the new machine.
A Turning Point
Having the capacity to fulfil larger scale projects changed the direction of the business, Ross started manging a busy CAD department working with clients across the UK and Europe focussing on 2D and 3D CAD conversion and utilising the SLA machine.
After years of experience in the business Ross naturally moved into the position of General Manager.
New Technology The Arrival Of The Neo 800
Ross has always had his eye on the ball wth technology and he bought in the Neo 800 our largest capacity SLA machine. Now we had our Neo 800 MNL stepped it up a gear, we could offer our clients fantastic surface finishing, faster build speeds, fine detail and huge capacity as a large frame 800 x 800 x 600mm machine. Having the additional capacity and build envelope also rubber stamped our commitment to speed of turnaround. Even on the largest of projects we can continue to offer parts in rapid time-frames.
The Next 30 Years
In 2011 Malcolm Nicholls stepped aside and handed the reigns of the business to Ross and he stepped into the role of Technical Director a well-deserved promotion. Ross has worked tirelessly over the last 30 years, his attention to detail and appetite to learn has meant he knew every last inch of the business to be able to make it a success. With Ross’ vision the next 30 years look to be exciting!
Ross has always pushed the boundaries and parameters, he has not only built a great reputation as a pioneer in the rapid prototyping industry but hes put MNL on the map as being a forward thinking business that delivers.
