Flame hopes business park move will provide spark for growth

Flames Simon Williams, John Savage and Victoria Brown.

Flame Heating Group is laying down the foundations for continued growth and expansion after investing in a new head office in the borough.

The firm is hopeful it will be able to create new jobs once the office is up and running.

The 2,821 sqft building, located on Boldon Business Park, will replace the heating and plumbing merchant’s existing head office in Team Valley, which will remain the firm’s lead branch.

Flame’s investment in the new head office building will support the company’s three-year expansion plan as it expects to launch new trade counters across the North East and expand into new regions.

It is also expecting to create 60 new jobs over this period – a move which will see it doubling its current workforce.

Flame’s 15 back office support and sales staff will be relocated to the Boldon head office, which is expected to open by the end of this month.

Established in 2011 with a single branch, Flame currently operates 11 trade counters across the region and in Scotland and is regarded as the North East’s fastest growing heating and plumbing merchant.

The office move is being supported by Gavin Black & Partners and PG Legal, which advised and sought out the property site, as well as handled the legalities of the agreement.

John Savage, managing director of Flame Heating Group, is delighted with the move: “This latest investment highlights our commitment to the North East and will set us up perfectly for future growth and expansion, in line with our ambitious three-year strategy.

“The Boldon location is ideal for our team, providing excellent transport links to our regional branch network and lead trade counter in Team Valley.

“The entire sale process went very smoothly, largely because of the support and advice offered by Gavin Black & Partners and PG Legal.

“Both firms understood our aims from the outset and the collaborative efforts have delivered the perfect base for our operations.”

He added: “There is scope for further job creation to support our back office functions and across our extended branch network, as we look to open new outlets throughout the UK.”