Northern Engineering Industries plc (NEI) was a British engineering firm, which for over 10 years was one of the largest employers on Tyneside. Its headquarters were based at the Regent Centre at Gosforth in Newcastle upon Tyne.[1]
History
The company was established on the initiative of Sir James Woodeson, who had been chairman of Clarke Chapman from 1949 until 1977 and of chairman of Reyrolle Parsons from 1974 to 1977.[2] The companies merged to form Northern Engineering Industries with Woodeson as chairman and chief executive in 1977.[3] It manufactured cranes (Clarke Chapman), transformers (Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.), switchgear (A. Reyrolle & Company), boilers (Power Engineering Ltd), control systems (Control and Instrumentation Ltd.), and turbines (C. A. Parsons and Company).[4]