BROKEN machinery and worn-out parts might be a crisis for a business that relies on automation, but for one Blackburn company they are a livelihood.

With millions of pounds worth of stock on its shelves Northern Industrial is the go-to place for businesses needing help with spares, repairs and replacement electronics.

And this year its boss, 36-year-old David Lenehan, is a finalist in the Business Person Award category.

The company was set up 35 years ago by David’s dad, John, and David never imagined that he would follow in his footsteps.

He said: “I took a marketing degree and worked for AMS Neve for about four and a half years then about eight or nine years ago I joined the business.

“At that time there were only 11 or 12 people working here and we didn’t do any exports; it was just repair work.”

But David soon realised there was a gap to be filled in the market by selling parts.

He said: “I only had two or three shelves of parts to begin with but I thought we could try a bit harder and set up a website. From there it snowballed and we had to employ more people. We had about 30 two years ago and now there are more than 70.”

So important is the service they offer that they once had to hire a helicopter to fly a part to a customer. “It’s either that or they lose millions in production,” said David.