Frank Holzer: The best way to build a brand is by doing a great job

Frank Holzer, General Manager 

Established in 2000, ANCA is an Australian-owned business, servicing the metal fabrication industry with high quality service and capabilities for almost 20 years.

Now, ANCA is going global as a total solutions company. The business has grown significantly in the past couple of years. Frank tells Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio of International Metalworking News for Asia about his motivations, challenges and vision for the future of ANCA’s sheet metal solutions in Thailand. 

“We deliver a complete end to end service from product design to manufacturing to coatings to assembly. We supply a quality sheet metal solution to your specific requirements. Our Value, with sheet metal solutions we guarantee number one lifetime customer experience every time,” notes Frank.

In the past year ANCA Sheet Metal did an audit of its brand and service delivery and how to speak to customers. He mentions, “As a result, we have a totally new brand strategy – complete with a new logo, marketing presence, website and most importantly upgraded facility in Thailand.”

Local presence is key

Frank believes the best way to build a brand is by doing a great job. A personal reference goes much further than any other marketing investment and that is why they are committed to doing the best work every time.

“To ensure customers in Asia know us, we first established an extensive local sales and service team as, we understand the importance of a local presence. In our team, we have native Thai speakers, as well as English if needed, to tap into the broader ANCA global network that has a well-established reputation across Asia,” he states.

Frank mentions, “We attend trade fairs and most recently had a stand at Subcon in Bangkok, where we took our new branding and renewed product range to market. Having a physical presence gave us a good opportunity to meet with people and discuss how we can help them, not just a sheet metal provider but a supplier that can offer complete end-to-end capabilities. Beyond that, we find social media to be a valuable channel, and traditional media our new website and advertising.”

Gate way to ASEAN

“The motivation to invest in Thailand came from its location as a gate way to ASEAN, along with the ease of doing business in a stable and developing economy with significant BOI benefits from the local government,” expounds Frank. “Also there is a very strong manufacturing sector in Thailand with car manufacturing, aerospace, food processing and construction. Having a world class facility based in the heart of this region means we can service these industries effectively with short delivery times, tailored solutions and local customer service,” he adds.  

ANCA has the equipment and capabilities to manufacture a diverse range of sheet metal products for all industries in Thailand. Frank details, “We service machine manufacturers, off road vehicles, food processing, consumer electronics, construction machinery, general machinery, aerospace and automotive. Essentially, we have the skills and equipment to design and manufacture a sheet metal product for any application and can guarantee a high level of quality due in part to the experience gained of over 20 years of operations. Additionally, we have been ISO 9001:2008 certified since 2015.”

To date, the company’s team have designed a wide range of industrial products, including under body protection, nudge bars, side steps, conveyors, machinery housing and electronic castings.

Being visible

“Exposure is everything, and we will strive to continue promoting our extensive product range to an even broader range of potential customers,” reveals Frank. “As I said, this year we opened a new facility and I am particularly proud of our world class equipment and qualified team. Now it is up to us to utilise our increased capacity and delight new customers with what ANCA can provide them. The future is looking bright,” he adds.

Frank tells that working with the media, both in Thailand and Asia is the primary way to get their name in front of people who may not have heard of them. “Keeping in front of the media to build our credibility through industry insights and articles is a key marketing strategy. We welcome every opportunity to provide the media comments on sheet metal and fabrication trends and best practice manufacturing approaches.”

He adds that networking is a key way to continue building public exposure and gives him a chance to meet fantastic companies that he is excited to help support. “Being a trusted supplier is crucial for our growth and it is very satisfying that by helping a customer to succeed, we succeed,” remarks Frank. 

Recently, Frank was reappointed as an AustCham Thailand Board Director, leading the manufacturing sub-committee and the Eastern Seaboard Businessmen monthly networking group which covers the senior leadership of a number of industries in Thailand.

AustCham maintains a general overview of the business environment in Thailand and Australia. The chamber allows members to access and connect with one another through their extensive network of experts in specific areas. They have a strong relationship with the Australian Embassy and also with key Thai government departments and agencies.

Collaboration expedite progress

“At ANCA we understand the value of collaboration and investing in finding new solutions for our customers. It is often said that most of our best innovations are the result of bespoke customer requests.

Our sister companies ANCA CNC Machines and ANCA Motion are very actively involved in joint research and development projects in different industries, admits Frank. 

Although ANCA Sheet Metal is not specifically involved in joint ventures at the moment, they still welcome that possibility in the future, as they are not an off the shelf provider.

Levelling distribution

The company is a quality product and service provider for a wide range of industries and applications. With its new facility, Frank is convinced that they have more room to grow and actively look for new customers. “Given this manufacturing plant is based in Thailand, we can easily distribute across Asia and even globally in a timely manner,” he explains.

As the innovator in end-to-end solutions, ANCA delivers sheet metal product design to assembly. Product development is approached with an agile, cross functional team coupled with a culture of lean manufacturing that ensures efficient, cost effective products that are delivered on time. Moreover, the company possess capabilities in CAD design and CNC programming to laser and waterjet cutting sheet metal, CNC forming, welding and painting and assembly.

Propagating passion for quality design

When asked what sets the company apart from its competitors, Frank responds, “I would say it is our passion for quality design and longevity in the market. We are lucky to be both local to Thailand and Asia but also global with our headquarters in Australia and offices around the world.”

He adds that ANCA is a specialised sheet metal provider with a talented diverse team of people from different backgrounds all determined to find the best solution for their customers. Its customer service, attention to detail and high level of quality makes them a crucial partner.

“ANCA Sheet Metal is a part of the ANCA Group and a global leader thanks to our high levels of service, superior product quality and performance that surpass customers’ expectations,” Frank concludes.