Yankee Candle Company
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The Yankee Candle Company is the largest U.S. manufacturer of scented candles.[citation needed] Founded in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and now located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts it is one of the largest employers in the Pioneer Valley.[citation needed]
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[edit] History
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The Company was founded in part by Michael Kittredge, Donald MacIver and Susan Obremski (Kittredge), high school friends, all originally from South Hadley, Mass. Michael had made a scented candle as a gift for his mom. When a neighbor expressed interest in purchasing the candle, the company was born. Donald helped fund the start-up business with earnings from his part-time job. Susan contributed her time and ingenuity. Candle production soared after her father devised a "heated room" enabling cost-saving liquid wax deliveries at the first factory site in Holyoke. Susan's invention of a turntable taper wheel allowed production to double, while at the same time decreasing the need for more labor hours. In 1975, Susan managed the first Yankee Candle Shop located where the Village Commons, South Hadley now stands.
Kittredge later studied at Holyoke Community College and was instrumental in establishing that institution's Kittredge Business Center, opened on May 19, 2006. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2002 for his commitment to the community and the state while at the helm of Yankee Candle.
After a cancer scare in 1993, he sold the company to New York based private equity company Forstmann Little for $500 million. Forstmann later took the company public. A new CEO named Craig Rydin was hired in 2001. Rydin launched a major advertising campaign and the line was picked by mass retailers Linens-N-Things and Bed, Bath and Beyond, pushing higher-than-ever sales.[1] Kittredge remains the company's chairman emeritus. His 198 foot luxury power yacht, purchased in 2001, is named Paraffin. [2] [3]
On February 6th, 2007, the company was acquired by the private equity group of Madison Dearborn Partners LLC for approximately $1.6 billion.
[edit] Flagship Store
Yankee Candle's flagship store, off Routes 5 & 10 in South Deerfield, Mass, is one of New England's most popular tourist attraction.[4] It features not only a selection of all available Yankee Candles but also kitchen and home accessories, New England crafts, gifts and collectibles, a toy shop, picnic grounds and a "Bavarian Christmas Village" filled with decorated Christmas trees and a toy train that runs through to Santa's Workshop, where animated elves and an 'assembly line' for wooden vehicles surround Santa Claus's desk. Visitors can dip their own candles in a specially equipped area and there is a candle making museum. The shop's award-winning Chandler's Tavern serves American cuisine and fine wines.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2004/1101/172_print.html
- ^ http://www.slate.com/id/2147788/?nav=tap3
- ^ http://powerandmotoryacht.com/megayachts/1105top100/index6.html
- ^ http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/macentralsights/a/aayankeecandle.htm
- Kittredge. "Yankee Candle Catalog." Introduction to Yankee Candle. Comp. Susan Kittredge. Holyoke: Marcus Printing, 1975.
- MacIver, Donald. Telephone interview. 10 November 2006.
- A Day of Production at Yankee Candle. Dir. Obremski. Perf. various. 35mm slides. Yankee Candle in-store video monitors, 1975.
