Huddersfield entrepreneur Oliver North has rebranded his firefighting vehicle manufacturing business and expanded into the growing European defence industry.
Mr North has rebranded Mytholmroyd-based North Fire to North Defence and has opened its European headquarters and a new factory in Luxembourg.
The new name and focus on defence reflects world events and the more complex requirements of the company’s customer base.
Mr North, 44, has been in the emergency vehicle manufacturing industry since leaving the British Army in 2004.
Father-of-two Mr North, who grew up in Netherton, served in the Royal Engineers for six years rising to the rank of Corporal.
He worked for a Kirklees-based emergency vehicle manufacturer becoming its top performing salesman before setting up his own company in Huddersfield – the original North Fire – in 2008.
In recent years Mr North’s growing order book for emergency vehicles has taken him to the frontline in Ukraine where he’s seen first hand the impact of the war on ordinary people.
Countries across Europe are now putting more focus on defence and North Fire’s capability and ability to pivot production toward modern battlefield vehicle technology was utilised by various EU NATO member states.
Mr North said: “No one is more passionate about British manufacturing than me, but my military experience has taught me that strategically we need to be headquartered in the heart of Europe to ensure we can design, build and deploy our industry-leading vehicles more reactively.
“Luxembourg is a country I’ve spent so much time in over the past few years and have grown a deep admiration for it.
“The calibre of people, infrastructure, transport links and local supply chains are exceptional, and the pride they have for the country is admirable.”
The North Defence factory opened in the town of Steinsel in September 2025 and the launch was attended by Luxembourg Defence Minister Yuriko Backes (below) and other senior Luxembourg and Ukrainian military personnel.
Mr North added: “Europe is facing challenges not seen for more than 80 years and I’ve seen this up close having personally delivered vehicles to the frontline for Ukraine’s armed forces and state emergency service constantly over the past three-and-a-half years.”
The new factory is now up and running in Luxembourg and Mr North splits his time between Yorkshire and Steinsel as he builds his team.
The workforce is 11 in Luxembourg and 27 in Mytholmroyd and those numbers are set to increase at home and in Europe.
Explaining the reasons for the rebrand, Mr North said: “The Ukraine projects clearly demonstrated to me that there are far more similarities than differences when building and supplying military vehicles and civilian emergency vehicles, albeit with very specific elements for each.
“I wanted our brand to better reflect our true capability, hence the rebrand and pivot to North Defence.
“I am particularly proud that the new North Defence logo incorporates my former military rank of corporal as I have a lot to thank the British Army for.
“In fact, a large proportion of the North Fire team hired over the past two decades are former British Army engineers and soldiers, which has proven pivotal in our operational vehicle development. Simply put, we would not be where we are without them.”
Mr North has been to Ukraine no fewer than 12 times since the start of the war and in May 2025 was awarded the Badge of Honour, the highest level of recognition from the State Emergency Services of Ukraine.
“The Badge of Honour is a symbol of the partnership between North Defence, the State Emergency Services of Ukraine and the Firefighters Foundation and something I will cherish for the rest of my life,” said Mr North.
“Integrity and ethics are at the heart of everything North Defence does and the company aligns itself with NATO member state requirements.”
Mr North’s first company, North Fire Ltd, was based in Brockholes and operated between 2008 and 2014 before being 75% acquired by Rosenbauer, the world’s largest firefighting truck manufacturer.
Mr North grew Rosenbauer UK into a £20 million turnover company and left in 2019.
He became managing director at Goole-based ambulance maker O&H Vehicle Technology and later completed a management buy-out, creating Venari Group.
In January 2024 he acquired and separated Venari’s defence and firefighting division and formed North Fire.
He is now the sole shareholder in North Defence.