Board of Directors

Chairman
Mr. Sardella was born & raised in Baltimore, where he started Sun Automation in 1985. He graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1969 and holds a Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. Mr. Sardella has over 40 years experience in the corrugated box industry and has been awarded over 17 patents for his inventions, many of which are now considered the standard in the industry. He has led the company from its inception, serving as Chairman and President. In 1996, he passed down his position as President but continues to direct the company as Chairman, and always maintains a direct involvement in engineering and sales.

Patrick O'Connor

Vice Chairman
Mr. O'Connor partnered with Lou Sardella and SUN Automation in February of 1987 as Vice President. Mr. O'Connor has over 33 years of corrugated machinery experience . He developed and led the manufacturing, purchasing and service groups at Sun Automation. Mr. O'Connor's career included positions in Manufacturing, Service and Purchasing for companies such as Ward Machinery and Prime Technology. Today Mr. O'Connor continues to provide direction and industry insight for the organization through his active role on SUN's Board of Directors.

Jeff Peterson

SUN Automation Board Member and President
Mr. Peterson has been involved in automation and special-purpose machinery for most of his 30-year career, beginning with the CAMCO division of Emerson Electric Co. with subsequent assignments at Kimberly Clark Corporation, Ridge Tool Division of Emerson Electric, American Tool Company and Applied Concepts Inc.  Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.  Mr. Peterson has been involved in machine design, new product development, strategic planning, international sales, business development and marketing for a wide range of industrial and consumer products.  He is an active member with the Chicago Chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a registered Professional Engineer, State of Illinois.

Guido Curzi

SUN Automation Board Member and Special Advisor
Mr. Curzi joined SUN Automation Board of Directors in 2002 and also serves as a Special Advisor for the organization.

He was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area where he attended UC Berkeley and currently designates this geographic area as home for him and his family. During his 50 years in the corrugated industry, Mr. Curzi utilized his extensive experience in advancing the technology and design of machine components for the industry. Mr. Curzi previously held positions as Vice President, President and CEO for George M. Martin Company, a global leader in the manufacturing and development of machine components for corrugated finishing equipment.

Richard G. Osborne

SUN Automation Board Member
Mr. Osborne holds a B.A. and Jurist Doctorate Degree from Rutgers University. The first 32 years of his business career were spent in the paper and pulp industry where he primarily served as President of six independent privately held paper mills.  For the next 12 years Mr. Osborne worked in the corrugated box industry. Mr. Osborne served as President and C.E.O., and later as Chairman of the Board of United Container Machinery Group, Inc. In his various responsibilities he has lived in a wide range of places, including Greece and England. Currently Mr. Osborne lives In Massachusetts.