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Business & Economy

Race to find buyer for Flame Heating Supplies as market conditions bite

A buyer is being sought for a plumbing and heating supplies business after it succumbed to a plunge in consumer confidence.

Flame Heating Supplies, which ran sites across the North East, has ceased trading.

The company cited tough conditions late last year, which affected the property market, and the coronavirus outbreak as significant contributing factors to its difficulties.

The Boldon-based firm, whose website shows online sales have been disabled, is working with Newcastle business support operator RSM to find a buyer.

A spokesman for Flame Heating Supplies said: “We experienced difficult trading conditions during the latter part of 2019, during the general downturn in the property market.

“While there was an initial rise in trade in the early part of the year, consumer confidence has again been dented by the ongoing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

“The business has done its utmost to make efficiencies, but this has proven difficult; we are now liaising with Steve Ross and Matthew Higgins of RSM with a view to finding a buyer for the business.”

Prior to running into difficulties, Flame Heating Supplies had embarked on an expansion across the North East and Scotland, with showrooms in places such as Durham, Gateshead and South Shields complemented by bases in Glasgow and Edinburgh.