The Gateshead-headquartered firm, which currently operates eight sites across the North East, is planning to increase its branch count to 14, including the opening of its first outlets outside of the North East, in Scotland.

Launches in Glasgow and Ayr have already been confirmed, with Edinburgh another possibility for the company, as well as further openings in the North East and potentially in Yorkshire.

Flame recently opened its first bathroom showroom, in Durham, which is the city’s first 4D bathroom design showroom, extending its current Durham branch. The showroom offers customers the opportunity to view their tailored bathrooms complete with the products and features they have selected through a virtual reality headset.

In 2017, it also launched two other sites in the North East, in Cramlington and Newcastle.

Established in 2011, Flame saw its turnover rise to £14.4m in 2017, up from £6.4m in 2016, and the business now employs in excess of 50 staff.

John Savage, managing director of Flame Heating Group, said: “We enjoyed a successful 2017 buoyed by further branch launches and the strengthening of our workforce. Our Scotland expansion is well underway and will see the first Flame outlets outside of the North East, which will mark an exciting time in our history.

“As the company has grown I have continued to set the bar even higher, and I am confident we will be able to extend the Flame brand into new areas and regions, while also supporting our extensive North East network.”

Mr Savage added: “The launch of our bathroom showroom was another highlight for the company as we entered new markets, and we are proud to be the only firm in Durham to offer such an all-round, end-to-end service.”