North Defence Becomes Leeds United Defence Partner

The Elland-based military vehicle maker upgrades its Leeds United deal as it scales to the next phase of growth

A fast-growing West Yorkshire defence manufacturer has raised its profile in Leeds. North Defence, which builds military vehicles from a base in Elland, has become the Official Defence Partner of Leeds United for the 2026/27 Premier League season, upgrading from a bronze partnership last campaign. Its branding will feature around Elland Road on matchdays, on the big screen and LED boards, ensuring strong visibility to all supporters visiting the stadium.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Advanced manufacturing and defence are among the fastest-growing parts of the UK economy right now, and a home-grown Yorkshire firm scaling into that space could mean skilled engineering jobs and investment close to Leeds. The Leeds United partnership signals a company confident enough to put itself in front of a Premier League audience as it grows.

Who Is North Defence?

Founded in 2008 as North Fire and led by founder and chief executive Oliver North, a former Royal Engineer, the company designs and builds light mobility vehicles built for modern defence needs. With it’s vehicles supplied to Western EU NATO member states, the firm says it supplied 422 of them over the past 12 months alone. CEO Oliver North, said: “It’s a genuine pleasure to partner with the club that I’ve cheered on at Elland Road since the mid-nineties. Many of our team of tradespeople, engineers and office workers have also been supporting Leeds through the highs and lows of the past three decades, so it’s personal to many of us.

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“The partnership is therefore a perfect one, and we look forward to marching on together into the new season.”

— Oliver North, Founder and CEO, North Defence

Mission Ready for the New Season

Phil Hardman, Partnerships Director at Leeds United Football Club, added: “We are excited to welcome North Defence on board as an Official Partner for the upcoming 2026/27 Premier League campaign. Their motto is ‘mission ready’, which I think can be said for both brands as we prepare for the start of the season”. The Leeds United deal adds brand visibility at exactly the moment the company is scaling: founder Oliver North says he is weeks away from announcing a significant new investment in the business. For a manufacturer growing into a fast-expanding market, that kind of exposure is valuable.