# Matthew Ritchie

> Matthew Ritchie is the Connecticut-based co-founder and co-CEO of Collective Manufacturing Group. A former U.S. Air Force servicemember and manufacturing operations executive, he works with co-founder Mark Hillenburg on acquiring and developing established manufacturing businesses under a long-term ownership philosophy.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Collective Manufacturing Group
- **Organizations:** Collective Manufacturing Group, Simson Kovacs, Cambridge Technology, a Novanta Company, Enjet Aero, SKF Group, Hanwha Aerospace USA, Bodycote, Barnes Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Gyrocam Systems, United States Air Force
- **Education:** BA in Business, St. Leo College, MS in Business, Northwestern University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group in 2024., Helped build a group with three acquisitions by April 2025., Collective reopened Kessington after a 2024 closure and rehired 30 original employees, according to its current company history.

## Career timeline

- **2002-2006** — Served in the United States Air Force.
- **2007-2011** — Held operations and Lean Six Sigma roles at Lockheed Martin Gyrocam Systems.
- **2013-2014** — Lean and customer program management at Barnes Aerospace.
- **2014-2016** — General Manager at Bodycote.
- **2016-2019** — General Manager of the Machinery Division at Hanwha Aerospace USA.
- **2019-2022** — Factory management roles at SKF, including Aeroengine North America.
- **2022-2023** — Executive Vice President of Operations at Enjet Aero.
- **2023-2024** — Interim Vice President of Operations at Cambridge Technology, a Novanta company.
- **2024** — Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group with Mark Hillenburg; acquired Simson Kovacs in August and Kessington Machined Products in November.
- **2025** — Collective acquired Columbia Manufacturing in April.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Collective Manufacturing Group in 2024.
- Helped build a group with three acquisitions by April 2025.
- Collective reopened Kessington after a 2024 closure and rehired 30 original employees, according to its current company history.
- Led the SKF Aeroengine North America team in Falconer, New York, which he described in 2021 as having more than 450 members.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Collective’s co-founder Mark Hillenburg described a continued focus on quarterly planning and site leadership alignment for Q1 2026.
- **2025-11** — Ritchie shared his appreciation for time with Columbia’s team at its annual picnic and joked about losing the cornhole tournament.
- **2025-09** — Ritchie publicly described Collective’s first three acquisitions and its forever-hold investment philosophy.

## Links

- Website: https://collectivemfg.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-ritchie-3057075/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/matthew-ritchie
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09