Established on Tyneside in 1951, the specialist engineering and surveillance company has grown its presence in the markets that its products and services are targeted towards; rail transport, emergency services and defence.

In a time of economical uncertainty for many companies, Petards has managed to sustain its position in the last 12 months thanks to key contract wins in all the above markets.

David heard how the company will see its eyeTrain on-board surveillance systems fitted to East Coast Mainline and Stansted Express trains during 2010, while it's specialist ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras have seen large orders from police forces in Europe and the Middle East.

David Clelland tours Petards facilityWithin the defence sector, Petards Joyce-Loebl gained substantial orders to supply electronic counter measure equipment to Navy and Army helicopter fleets. These systems protect aircraft from missile attack and are helping protect service men and women serving around the world including Afghanistan.

Commenting on the visit, Petards' Chief Executive, Bill Conn said "We were delighted to welcome David to Petards; he has worked hard to promote our region and local business for many years."

David Clelland commented on his visit "Yet again, on a visit to a local company, I have been impressed by the state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities in the North East, not least here on the Team Valley Trading Estate. Petards displays the kind of high skill high quality manufacturing that will be the salvation of the region and I congratulate all associated with the company and wish them well for the future."