![](https://emergencyservicestimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ESS-Button-resized.png")
While Northern Diver’s SRE specialist diving and water rescue gear is known across industries, it’s the human element that powers our innovation. We believe a confident, well-trained team is just as critical as any product we create. When people are empowered, teams benefit through smarter solutions, stronger support and equipment that performs where it matters most.
In the world of emergency and rescue services, reliability is non-negotiable – not just in the gear, but in the people behind it. At Northern Diver, we know that trust in equipment starts with trust in the team who design, build and service it. That’s why we find it is of unequivocal importance to invest in our people as well as our technology. Evolution is part of our company DNA.
For a campus our size, we have a surprisingly tight-knit team – but we cover every stage of product creation, development, distribution and support in-house. Engineers, researchers, product specialists and dispatchers all work side-by-side to ensure no detail is overlooked.
Mike Armitage, founder of Northern Diver, is a very hands-on boss (though he apparently does not like that title!) and is not afraid to get well and truly stuck in wherever required, from laying concrete in the car park, to attending global trade shows and working across departments to understand what staff are developing, creating or building. His mission is clear: a business only grows if the people within it are supported to grow too.
“After 45 years you realise that the most important asset to your business are good staff. And good staff are very difficult to come by – so we do spend a lot of time, effort and money in doing the best training we can. Success always comes down to your staff.”
Mark Armitage, Founder of Northern Diver.
That success is clear through the progression team members have been able to make throughout their careers at Northern Diver. Specialist Rescue Equipment Manager, Craig McColl reminisced about his experiences at the company over his 21-year tenure.
“I started in goods intake, just casually, since I needed a job, and the company was local to me. I realised quickly that I really liked it here. I moved over to suit repairs – of course I was provided all the training, and learned new skills, to make sure I was up to the standard.”
Building his knowledge of the details and applications of the products around him, Craig’s initiative and interest was noted by Mike, and he was invited to help host a trade show booth.
“[Mike] invested in my training, and I started using and testing the products and kit that we sell. I was put on many courses – from a regulator servicing course, to learning to scuba dive with several other colleagues; and even went on an English literature course to help with my writing skills. I suspect I have dyslexia, so it really helped my confidence in business-to-business and customer service communication to bolster my English skills.”
Craig McColl, Specialist Rescue Equipment Manager.
Northern Diver doesn’t merely offer training to their own people, but also sets up training days for external companies, teams and organisations to take advantage and bolster their skills in search and rescue equipment usage and testing.
It is evident that after nearly half a century, success clearly stems from investment in not only pioneering technology and production, but in team members. The development of human assets – pastoral care, skills and knowledge – is evidently imperative to the growth of a business: because when your staff are happy, confident and motivated, then it’s all the better for everyone involved. When it comes to emergency services, trust in your tools is only as strong as the people behind them. By investing in people first, we at Northern Diver don’t just build better gear – we help build safer outcomes.
To read similar articles, check out our Products channel.
