The North East heating & plumbing merchant, Flame Heating Spares, is set to cross the border and expand into Scotland.
The firm has appointed an experienced Development Director for Scotland, as it seeks to acquire a number of sites and develop the Flame brand north of the border. Danny Byrne, from Perth, will oversee the expansion into Scotland and report directly to John Savage, Managing Director of Flame Heating Spares, as part of the role.
Danny, 57, possesses more than 35 years’ industry experience having worked in various managerial and directorship roles for national heating & plumbing firms, with a track record of overseeing growth and expansion in the Scottish and Northern markets.
Danny said: “I have known John for a long time and his aspirations for Flame are really exciting. As soon as I was offered the opportunity to get involved with this project and help the company expand, it was an easy decision to make.
“I have gained a lot of service experience and industry knowledge over the course of my career, which will help put me in a strong position as I aim to support John in driving forward Flame’s growth plans, opportunities and strategies across Scotland.”
Flame has experienced year-on-year growth since its formation in 2011, with turnover currently at £6.4m – a figure the company expects to see grow significantly in the next financial year. It currently operates trade counters in Ashington, Durham, Gateshead, South Shields, Stockton and Sunderland.
By 2020, the firm hopes to open 20 more outlets, including in Scotland, and to increase its workforce to more than 50 employees.
John commented: “Given the success of Flame in the North East, I am keen to extend our services north of the border and expand the business into different areas of the UK. Danny’s proven track record, vast experience and knowledge of the Scottish market will put us in good stead and paves the way for even more growth and job creation.
“The long-term ambition is to serve customers on a national scale, but the immediate focus is to increase our geographical reach in the North, with the opening of 20 more branches. I am very excited by what the future holds for the company.”
