There’s something meaningful about longevity.
Not just years on paper — but years of early mornings, problem-solving calls, production deadlines, customer conversations, and the steady commitment to getting the job done right.
At RBB, we’re proud to recognize three engineers whose combined tenure totals 102 years of service: Cheryl Thompson, Dave Thomas, and Jeff Fankhauser. That number represents more than time. It reflects dedication, resilience, and the kind of institutional knowledge that can’t be taught overnight.
Cheryl joined RBB in 2000 as a Test Technician. Within a year, she advanced to Test Manager and later to Production Manager, a reflection of both her technical skill and the trust she earned from her team. Over time, her role expanded to include engineering scheduling, job routing, document control, and quoting — the behind-the-scenes work that keeps projects accurate and moving forward.
Today, Cheryl plays a central role in the quoting process, helping ensure customers receive clear, reliable information from the very beginning of a project. Her attention to detail and willingness to step in wherever needed, from purchasing to test operations, embody RBB’s belief in collaboration and accountability.
Dave Thomas marks 41 years with RBB this September. Forty-one years of evolving equipment, changing technologies, and growing customer expectations — and through it all, Dave has remained a steady presence. His deep understanding of our processes and production environment has helped shape many of the systems still in place today.
There’s comfort in experience like that. Customers may not see it directly, but they feel it — in consistency, in responsiveness, in knowing that the people building their assemblies understand what’s at stake.
Jeff Fankhauser’s story is woven into the broader history of RBB. He first joined the company in 1977 before transitioning to Do It Control Systems Group, a sister company founded by RBB co-founder David Bayer. When the business was later reorganized, Jeff returned to RBB in 1998. While his direct tenure totals 35 years, his entire career has been spent within the extended RBB family of companies.
That continuity matters. It connects today’s production floor to the original vision that began in Shreve, Ohio.
RBB was founded in 1973 by three electrical engineering students who wanted to build an electronics company in their local community. From that small workshop, the company grew into a trusted provider of electronics manufacturing services, supporting customers across industries with precision and flexibility.
In 2000, current owner Bruce Hendrick joined the company and later acquired RBB in 2004, continuing its focus on responsiveness, technical expertise, and long-term partnership.
The combined 102 years represented by Cheryl, Dave, and Jeff reflect more than longevity. They represent process improvements refined over decades. Customer relationships built on trust. Lessons learned and shared. A culture that values people as much as performance.
At RBB, our core values aren’t just statements on a wall. They show up in the way our teams support one another, in the discipline behind our quality systems, and in the commitment to being Always Better — continuously improving, refining processes, and raising expectations for ourselves.
Whether we’re supporting surface mount and through-hole PCB assembly or delivering complex electronic assemblies that demand precision and accountability the foundation remains the same: experienced people who care about doing the job right.
In an industry defined by constant change, that kind of stability brings confidence — not only to our customers, but to the next generation of team members learning from those who came before them.
Since 1973, RBB has grown by investing in both strong systems and strong people. And it’s that combination — experience paired with a mindset of continuous improvement — that allows us to serve our customers with consistency and confidence, year after year.
If you’d like to learn more about RBB and our customer-first approach to electronics manufacturing, we invite you to connect with our team or visit www.rbbsystems.com.
