Member Article

Flame warms to growth in 2015

North East trade supplies firm Flame Heating Spares has identified the site of its fourth outlet as it looks to continue expansion, doubling its workforce in 2015.

The company, which already has a lead branch on Gateshead’s Team Valley, as well as trade counters in Durham and South Shields, is set to open its new Sunderland site in mid-June.

Flame Heating Spares is also moving its lead branch into a new Team Valley site, which has double the space of the existing outlet, to allow for more stock to be kept for same day supply to trade customers.

Further expansion plans include identifying and opening a further two branches later in the year, both in the North East, as well as 100% growth in staff levels in 2015. The company currently employs 13 people.

Work to increase the staff levels has already begun with the appointment of two apprentices, one each at the Gateshead and Durham branches, and the employment of a new driver, Simon Young, at Team Valley.

The new Sunderland branch, on the Riverside Industrial Estate, Lower Southwick, will be led by a yet to be announced “investor director”, who will have a stake in the success of the operation.

John Savage, Managing Director of Flame Heating Spares, said: “Since launching the company in 2013, we have taken a single branch and created a chain of three, which will soon become four. I hope that, by the end of 2015, it will be at least six.

“Each branch not only aims to provide excellent, same day service to our customers, but to create local jobs. We also ensure that the branches are run by people who know the industry in their area and take an ownership stake in the site they lead, which helps to drive business and service levels.

“With our new apprentices and the new driver at Team Valley already on board this year, it is an exciting time for myself and the Flame team.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Recognition PR Business Team .