A FAMOUS industrial name from the past is to return as a North-East firm looks to build on its worldwide strengths.

A division of Cleveland Bridge is reverting to its former title of Dorman Long, to give the firm added weight in the global market.

Chief executive Tony Rae said the Darlington company would be renaming its specialised products division, as the firm continued to seek orders.

"We have owned the name since 1980, and, as part of our bid to capture contracts worldwide, we will be using a name known across the world again," he said.

The company also revealed that the firm had made 26 staff redundant last month.

Mr Rae said yesterday that the redundancies, many of which were voluntary, were part of restructuring at the firm's management level.

"These redundancies were made as part of the restructuring since the buyout," he said. "They have allowed us to implement a new management structure at the company."

In May, Mr Rae led a £8.4m management buyout from Anglo-Norwegian owners Kvaerner, and just weeks later the company landed contracts in Argentina and Abu Dhabi.

However, management confirmed there was still a lack of work in the UK.

Dorman Long was involved with the world's most famous bridges, most notably the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia and the Bosphorus bridge in Turkey.

Arthur Dorman and Albert Long first set up business together at a Middlesbrough iron works in 1874. During the 1950s and 60s, Cleveland Bridge and Dorman Long worked on several contracts, including the Forth Road and Severn Bridges.