Lavender International NDT Consultancy Services LTD History

Lavender International NDT Consultancy Services Ltd has 2 phases to its development.

The company originally began its life in the J.D. Lavender Partnership in 1976, when Jack and Dave Lavender together with Joyce Lavender, set up to provide NDT services, in particular testing and training in NDT. The offices were provided from their home in Crosspool, Sheffield, and the working hours were long and hard. Jack Lavender became one of the few grandfathered ASNT Level 3s back in 1977, and Dave Lavender became one of the youngest ASNT Level 3s, when he took the exams in the 1980s. Jack passed away 5th December 2003 aged 79. Read More about Jack Lavender.

The Partnership had its ups and downs but gradually, through word of mouth the training and testing services provided became more popular, and a room was leased from South Yorkshire Steel Training Association down in Attercliffe, Sheffield - which gradually started to accumulate NDT training and examination samples. In UK industry, the provision of training and examinations to SNT-TC-1A was becoming popular, and so this part of the business was was becoming more important.

In 1982, Steve Lavender joined with a remit to manage the business and plan for future projects. Within a few years the company evolved from its partnership into Lavender International NDT Consultancy Services Ltd, and had taken on the first of their offices at Penistone Railway Station. Since then the rise of the company has been steady and sustained. Staff working for the company have grown to include a 23 person highly qualified group, including 9 with ASNT Level 3 status, and 8 with PCN Level 3 status. The NDT testing gradually shut down as it was clear the company should concentrate on training, examinations, and consultancy services.

The technical staff can cover all the major NDT methods, and more recently expanded to cover advanced techniques, such as Time of Flight Diffraction and Phased Array. In 2000 we secured an association with Brian Carter to deliver Material Evaluation courses, including Hardness Testing, Conductivity Testing, Acid Etch, and Anodic Flaw Detection. This programme has enabled the creation of a new team within the business, to develop, Outside Agency Services.

The Level 3 Outside Agency office is now a thriving part of the Lavender consultancy services. We also continue to supply ASNT books not only to local businesses but all over Europe through our Online Shop.

This website itself is testimony to the forward thinking of the company - Lavender International has had a website now for many years (since 1996) and were pioneers in interactive assessment projects. The NDT shop does great business and we will make every effort to keep the news page up to date.

The company now employs 23 people, all highly qualified for their roles. The company itself is ISO9002 accredited; a BINDT training school; accredited to the National Standard Investor in People; and is a PCN accredited test centre. We provide training and examinations in NDT to companies and individuals around the world, and Level 3 services to a wide range of industries, namely Aerospace, Nuclear, Automotive, Defence, Oil and Gas, and Power. We are corporate members of ASNT and BINDT, and support NDT sections in many ways.

Our mission is to provide NDT services which are second to none.