A BUSINESS support organisation has bought the commercial division of a group working with North-East firms supplying the defence industry.

County Durham-based Business and Enterprise UK (BEUK) has acquired NDI UK, the commercial arm of Northern Defence Industries (NDI), which represents scores of defence contractors across the region.

NDI UK specialises in helping businesses compete for opportunities in the defence, aerospace and security sectors.

BE-UK is the parent company of Business and Enterprise North-East, which delivers a range of business improvement contracts in the region, including Business Link.

BE-UK chief executive Alastair MacColl said: “NDI UK is a great addition to our portfolio.

“It complements a number of our products and services, allowing us to maximise new opportunities for businesses operating in these competitive sectors.”

NDI UK managing director Robin Fox said: “This acquisition will enable NDI UK to expand its activity from a position of strength. Through BE-UK we will be able to deliver even better business development interventions that positively affect our customer’s bottom line.

“We will remain focused on the small and medium-sized enterprise community and will continue to provide highquality supply chain support services that help those firms to develop and sustain globally competitive business in the advanced engineering sector.”

NDI will remain an independent membership organisation, working closely with NDI UK.

NDI chairman David Bowles, who founded the organisation in 2001 with the purpose of getting small businesses involved in defence contracts, said: “NDI has built a great reputation with some of the biggest companies in the world. By acquiring our commercial business, BE-UK can help us to realise our strategic objectives and make sure our members win more business.”