King’s Birthday Honours – Bernard ‘Barney’ Ord honoured with OBE

Bernard ‘Barney’ Ord has spent more than seven decades building businesses, supporting charities and helping countless people across the region. 

The 91-year-old Middlesbrough FC supporter started as an apprentice mechanical engineer at South Durham Iron and Steel Company before studying marine technology in Sunderland.

The dad-of-three worked as a chief engineer on colliers travelling between Blyth and Southampton, but returned to Middlesbrough after his mother became seriously ill.

READ MORE: All the North East recipients in King’s Birthday Honours List 2026

In 1959, Barney, who was born in Leeds, co-founded Erimus Engineering, initially carrying out ship repairs and engineering work before expanding into wider industrial services.

Barney Ord of Fairfield Industries in 2011 (Image: UNKNOWN)

The company grew rapidly and Barney later founded Northern Machine Tools, which became one of the best-known machine tool businesses in Britain, buying, overhauling and selling machinery across the world.

Over the years, the grandad-of-six became chairman or director of dozens of North-East firms, including Fairfield Industries and John Livingston & Sons. 

At one stage, he oversaw businesses employing more than 1,300 people.

Even into his mid-80s, Barney remained actively involved in business and continued advising companies and financial institutions on machinery valuations and industrial assets.

But alongside his success in industry, Barney, who now lives in Nunthorpe, has long been admired for his commitment to charitable and community causes.

A devout Catholic, he has supported numerous organisations over many years, including Northern Lights, Fairbridge Trust, The Teesside Charity and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Middlesbrough Youth Service.

He has also played a leading role in the Mike McCullagh Memorial Fund – launched in memory of the former MFC chairman – helping raise money for grassroots football and enabling disadvantaged children and families to travel to Lourdes.

Barney Ord OBE with then prospective Conservative candidate Will Goodhand in 2014 (Image: Doug Moody)

Barney chaired testimonial committees for former Boro players Willie Maddren, John Hickton, Stuart Boam and Bill Gates during the 1970s.

He also volunteered on Lourdes pilgrimages for many years, giving up a week annually to help care for sick and disabled pilgrims.

His association with St John Ambulance stretches back half a century after one of his employees suffered a serious workplace injury.

Realising he knew little about first aid, Barney enrolled on a St John course himself and became heavily involved with the organisation, later serving as chairman. 

In 1999 he was appointed a Knight of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.

Friends and colleagues describe him as “fiercely loyal, generous with his time and advice, and deeply proud of Teesside”.

Barney is one of dozens of people from across County Durham, Teesside, Northumberland and Tyne and Wear to be honoured this year.

Others leading the regional honours include knighted Durham University cosmologist Professor Carlos Frenk and Newton Aycliffe’s Allison White, who received a British Empire Medal (BEM) after turning her own leukaemia diagnosis into the Great Aycliffe Cancer Support Group.