Chris Heon

The Yankee Candle Company, Inc.

From humble beginnings ... Christmas 1969. Sixteen-year-old Mike Kittredge, too broke to buy his mother a present, melted some crayons to make her a candle. A neighbor saw it and convinced Mike to sell the candle to her. With that small stake, he bought enough wax to make two candles—one for his mom, and another to sell. That was the birth of Yankee Candle. …to America's favorite brand of premium scented candles Yankee Candle has become the most recognized name in the candle business and the country's best-selling candle brand. Today, we offer over 150 fragrances, a wide range of seasonal and specialty scented candles, home fragrance products, car air fresheners and candle accessories. The majority of our candles are made by master chandlers (candlemakers) in Massachusetts. Our candles and accessories can be found in our nationwide base of over 475 company-owned retail stores. We also have a vibrant catalog and online business, an expanding North American wholesale customer network (including over 19,000 specialty retailers in the U.S.), our Yankee Candle Fund-Raising division and international distribution. The future looks bright for new growth and expanding opportunities as we continue to write new chapters in this true American success story.