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Team & History

Put 100 Years of Excellence to Work for Your Company

AKS Cutting Systems is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business with over 100 years of experience. We’re proud to design and manufacture all of our products in the U.S., allowing us to bring the highest quality to our customers. Since 1912, we’ve been on the forefront of tool design and manufacturing from our factory headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. And we’re not slowing down anytime soon.

We have a strong reputation for durability, accuracy, and reliability with thousands of installations worldwide. We partner with many high-quality machinery sales dealers and have an extensive service and support network to give our clients a great experience. Learn more about our history below, or reach out to our team for more information.

Lyons Tool and Die

A Tradition of Innovation

AKS Cutting Systems started out in the early 1900s as Lyons Tool and Die. Lyons made a name for itself as a high-quality custom machine shop serving the Cleveland area. For over 50 years, Mr. Lyon owned and operated the company with his family’s support. The company maintained excellence with an engineering staff to rival the size of its sales staff, a tradition that continues today.

Stanley Midnight

A Tradition of Quality

Stanley Midnight, father-in-law to current Chairman Dale Phillip, purchased Lyons Tool and Die in the late 1960s. With a limited staff and a couple of high-quality machines, they manufactured the finest thread gauges and precision tools in America.

Dale Phillip

A Tradition of Details

As Dale Phillip says, “The devil is in the details.” From designing to building, our attention to detail has kept AKS Cutting Systems around for years. Today, that same attention to detail keeps us on the cutting edge of machine design.

Tillman Avenue

A Tradition of Growth

In 1995, Dale Phillip moved us to our current location across the street from Cleveland International Airport. It was a big change moving from our humble beginnings on Tillman Avenue to our modern, 55,000-square-foot facility. But we’ve been growing ever since.

Kent and Greg Phillip

A Tradition of Family

Four generations of the Phillips family have passed through the doors as employees of AKS Cutting Systems. The third and current leaders are a pair of brothers — Kent and Greg Phillip. Family values have provided a long-term vision for AKS Cutting Systems. We believe in staying the course and being in it for the long run.

plasma and waterjet cutting systems

A Tradition of Passion

Over the last 100 years, we have designed thousands of machines. We’ve found our passion and pride in our current line of plasma and waterjet cutting systems. Built with the same values in mind as always, we have developed a system that you can pass down from generation to generation. Paired with a partner who is just as focused as you are on maintaining a healthy and prosperous relationship, we’re ready to help you reach the next level of manufacturing excellence.

Partner with the Best in the Business

Since 1912, we’ve dedicated ourselves to developing great products and providing the best customer service. When you work with us, we’ll ensure you get exactly what you need to grow your business.

Want to learn more about what we can do for you? Reach out to our team today.

Meet Our Team

Dale Phillip

Dale Phillip

Chairman

Greg Phillip

Greg Phillip

President

Kent Phillip

Kent Phillip

VP Operations

Tom Petrella

Tom Petrella

VP Purchasing

Mike Burns

Mike Burns

Director Sales & Marketing

Goran Racic

Goran Racic

Engineering Manager

Scott Krankowski

Scott Krankowski

Customer Service Manager

Donna Ziehm

Donna Ziehm

Controller

Becky Tada

Becky Tada

Inside Sales Coordinator

Chris Phillip

Chris Phillip

Marketing Manager

Walt Debiasi

Walt DeBiasi

Regional Sales Manager

Stan Pollack

Stan Pollack

Regional Sales Manager

Juan Banuelos

Juan Banuelos

Regional Sales Manager

Dan Diamond

Dan Diamond

Regional Sales Manager

Mike Marvin

Mike Marvin

Regional Sales Manager

Matt Woodhouse

Matt Woodhouse

Regional Sales Manager

Jason Wesner

Jason Wesner

Plasmatic Sales Representative

Alison Hugney

Alison Hugney

Parts & Consumables Sales Representative

Rick Ward

Rick Ward

Manufacturing Supervisor

Brandon Woodward

Brandon Woodward

Regional Sales Manager

Chuck Thomas

Chuck Thomas

Service Technician

Not Sure What’s Right for You? Reach Out to Our Team

With so many options to choose from, it can be difficult to know what’s right for your operation. At AKS Cutting Systems, we have a team on standby to help you determine the best fit for your business. Reach out to us today for an accurate quote.