Its headquarters were based at the Regent Centre at Gosforth in Newcastle upon Tyne.

[1] The company was established by way of a merger between Clarke Chapman and Reyrolle Parsons in 1977.

[2] 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).

Allen, Sons & Co. (founded in 1880 and based in Bedford),[5] Belliss and Morcom of Birmingham, and Crossley Engines (founded in 1867 and based in Manchester).

[6] Northern Engineering Industries was led through much of its existence by Sir Duncan McDonald, first as Group Managing Director (1977 to 1980) and then as Chairman (1980 to 1986)[7] and by Sir Terence Harrison first as Chief Executive (1983 to 1986) and then as Chairman (1986 to 1989).