Mr Hepburn visited Flame’s new premises on Boldon Business Park to tour the facility and meet staff.

Flame, one of the North East’s fastest-growing heating and plumbing merchants, invested in the new head office in November 2018, having previously operated from Team Valley, which now acts as its lead branch.

Established in 2011 with a single branch, Flame currently operates 11 trade counters across the North East and in Scotland.

The investment aims to support the company’s three-year expansion plan, which includes the launch of additional trade counters in the North East and throughout the UK. Flame also expects to double its current workforce of 60 employees, as part of the ambitious strategy.

Mr Hepburn said: “It was a pleasure to officially open Flame’s new head office in Boldon Business Park. Small businesses are the backbone of our local communities and I was impressed with their forward-thinking plans for the future. It is always excellent to see thriving and expanding businesses invest in our area and this is good news for the Jarrow constituency, South Tyneside and the wider North East region.”

John Savage, managing director of Flame Heating Group, added: “It was great to welcome Mr Hepburn to our new offices to show him what it is we do and how we plan to grow the business further. We have big aspirations for Flame in the region and further afield as we continue to expand and create further job opportunities here in Boldon and across our branch network.

“We look forward to welcoming Mr Hepburn back in the future, and I’d like to thank him for visiting and marking the official launch of our new base.”