A BUSINESS BORN FROM A NATURAL CATASTROPHE

Who we are

In 2013, following a 6.6 magnitude earthquake that rocked Marlborough, New Zealand’s premier wine making region, ONGUARD’s Founder and Managing Director, Will Lomax, stood alongside a winery owner as thousands of litres of valuable, hard-earned product disappeared down the drain because of damage inflicted to the tanks.

This led to the creation of a game-changing engineering solution. ONGUARD is the first genuine seismic tank system specifically designed to protect liquid storage tanks and their contents from earthquake damage and loss.

Engineering & Design Expertise

ONGUARD was created in Christchurch, New Zealand, a city that already had a reputation for producing some of the world’s finest structural designers and earthquake engineering techniques. This capability was further enhanced by the need to regroup and rebuild following the city’s own devastating earthquake in 2011.

The Onguard Experts

Behind ONGUARD’s innovative seismic technology lies a very capable and experienced team of structural engineers and designers with a reputation for thinking outside the box. By combining the very latest design tools and methods with our customary innovative thinking, we consistently provide our clients with exceptional results.

Michele A. Badker

Vice President, Business Development

E: mabadker@onguardgroup.com

Will Lomax

Managing Director

B.Eng (Hons) CMEngNZ IntPE

E: wlomax@onguardgroup.com

Will is the founder of Onguard and the firm’s Technical Director. He brings 20 years of multi-disciplinary engineering expertise to customers’ projects. Will’s career encompasses global project management, solution-driven structural design and a deeply held belief in customised and bespoke engineering. As a committed professional, he challenges the technical status quo and endeavours to explore and develop all options before choosing the best solution for his customers.

Libby Ornsby

Global Operations Manager

E: lornsby@onguardgroup.com

Libby is an experienced professional administrator with an outstanding commitment to customers. Her attention to detail ensures delivery on time, every time. Her talent, experience and first class capability guarantee seamless delivery. Libby’s dedication and commitment to managing the ‘engine room’ allows the Onguard engineering team to apply their complete focus to designing solutions for customer’s projects.

Derek Liddington

General Manager (New Zealand)

E: dliddington@onguardgroup.com

Derek is a highly experienced business manager after having worked in a variety of senior management roles. Passionate about his clients and professional in his delivery, Derek will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of providing world-leading service and products. His wealth of engineering experience is highly valued by our customers as he provides innovative yet practical solutions.

Regan Wood

Seismic Design Specialist

BE (Hons)

Regan is the go-to design engineer for Onguard providing the design interface between Onguard and the customer’s project. Regan has gained significant experience through providing key Marlborough winery projects with detailed seismic design. A key member of the Onguard team Regan brings all of his professional engineering skill to the challenge of designing advanced seismic wine tank systems for the firm’s customers.

Paul Franzia

Independent Representative (United States)

E: pwfranzia@onguardgroup.com