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25 years strong: The ONBoard Solutions Story

Peter Ruefli reflects on the ONBoard Solutions journey. Working both hard and smart with dedication, surrounding the business with the right people, and never losing sight of technology developments. He shares how the right mix and balance of these ingredients have shaped two and a half decades of success.  Peter, how did it all start? What was your path into the electronics industry? I grew up in Solothurn, Switzerland, and began an apprenticeship in electromechanics at 16. I worked at Robert Bosch for a year before my military service, and then I joined Zevatech Automation, which was the European agent for Juki SMT equipment. In my early twenties I travelled widely, installing machines throughout Europe for customers in defence and consumer electronics. I learnt a lot. That experience gave me both technical grounding in the PCBA segment and international exposure.  What brought you to Australia? I always wanted overseas work experience. A Juki agent in Australia offered me a service engineer role, so I applied for a visa. When it finally came through, I was 27, packed my bags, and arrived in Sydney with a one-way ticket. I started in Bankstown, first as a service engineer and soon after as National Sales Manager.  How did that experience lead to starting your own business? After spending some time in Australia, I worked for a small company specialising in surveillance systems, but the products proved unsuccessful and luckily for me, I failed. When that ended, I decided to follow my own vision. In June 2000, with a handful of dollars and a spare bedroom in Coogee, Sydney, I founded ONBoard Solutions. My first supplier was Inventec Chemical Performance, a French company providing solder paste and cleaning materials.  Was there any breakthrough moment? How did you start growing beyond consumables? In 2002 after a year of qualification work I won the supply contract for solder paste at Robert Bosch in Clayton. It was averaging 1 tonne per month, which still today is more than all combined Australian customers.  Joshua Lawson joined me, and together we built a broader portfolio. By 2006 we could offer turnkey SMT solutions, both in equipment and materials. Around that time, we also expanded into cleanroom consumables, recognising that production in a controlled environment has a better product quality outcome. Especially in Microelectronics.  That opened new markets in universities, research, semiconductors, and later pharmaceuticals. Joshua is one of the people who had a great impact on me and the business.  What does OnBoard look like today? We now have three strong divisions: 
  • SMT equipment – representing tier-one suppliers like Panasonic Connect & Rehm Thermal Systems. 
  • Materials technology – Epoxies, Pastes, coatings, cleaning products & Dielectric cooling fluids and more. 
  • Cleanroom consumables – supporting electronics, medical, and pharmaceutical customers. 
Although we are a small team of eight, our customers span defence, medical devices, universities, OEMs, subcontractors, and pharma.  You achieved ISO 9001 certification quite early on. Why was that important? It formalised how we operate and opened new opportunities. Among our peers as an international supplier, we remain one of the few players in Australia with ISO 9001. I believe it shows the maturity of the business. We are serious about what we do and how we do it.  How do you choose suppliers like your latest Panasonic Connect? We only represent technologies we fully believe in. Panasonic Connect is a global leader in pick-and-place equipment, with unmatched precision and throughput. Speed on a small footprint, the ability to place both very small and large components, and seamless integration with third-party systems make Panasonic stand out. With its factory integration software called PanaCim it can easily help manage your production floor, from materials management to traceability  If you do not trust the manufacturer, you can’t sell with confidence.  Sustainability is a growing focus. How are you approaching it? Environmental responsibility is a big topic for me personally. We invest time and effort in running our operations as sustainably as possible. For example, we run a solvent recycling program. We collect used material from customers, distil it, and return a purified product. This reduces waste and lowers costs. In cleanrooms, we also partner with companies that recycle gowns and gloves. It is about thinking outside the box and offering customers the practical ways to act sustainably.  What has been your proudest achievement so far? The team. Building a dedicated group that supports each other and our customers is more important to me than revenue numbers. Of course, reaching 25 years in operation is also something I am very proud of. I am grateful to the people who helped me along the way. Being surrounded by smart, educated and courageous people has always inspired me and pushed me to grow.  Another achievement worth mentioning is the deliverables to our clients. We have always gone beyond to make sure orders are on time and technical assistance is provided promptly.  Looking ahead, what is next for ONBoard? We want to strengthen rather than chase breadth. That means investing in a larger facility to better operate our business pulling back from 3PL for better control, possibly with our own cleanroom facilities. Our role is to stay ahead of technology trends and help customers manufacture better, whether through equipment, materials, or consulting. Building networks and connecting people will also play an important role, as we see ourselves contributing to shaping the industry and supporting growth through knowledge sharing and education.  What advice would you give your younger self? Have a balance between education and enjoying good times with friends. Follow your intuition, be carefree and at the same time be mindful of the path ahead creating your curriculum vitae.  Travel, explore, and gain experiences—those broaden your perspective and make you better prepared for the path ahead.  Success can be measured in many ways, do not be afraid to step outside your comfort zone—it always pays off.

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