Kringle candle

“We’re very proud of our candles, and I think you will be pleased with them, too.”

A Note from Michael James Kittredge III

When he was just sixteen, my father Mike Kittredge made a candle using his old childhood crayons for his mother’s Christmas present. This was the start of a tiny but fast-growing business called the Yankee Candle Company. By following his inspiration and always stressing quality, my father made Yankee the candle industry standard and reshaped the modern giftware landscape. He sold Yankee Candle to Forstmann Little &, Co. in 1998, and retired from the world of wax and wicks – or so he thought.

In 2008, I made my first candle on my family’s antique Queen Anne stove purely for fun. So when my 2009 college course required that I create and promote a product, my choice was natural: candles. As I worked on the project I felt a great sense of heritage and fulfillment. It was an idea that wouldn’t go away.

I discussed expanding the academic assignment into a real business with my father. We spent several days considering what it would be like for both of us if I followed in his footsteps. There was a growing excitement as we realized we both wanted to explore the concept further.

As part of this process, we decided to see what sort of available facilities might be suited to candle crafting. On a drive through lovely Bernardston, Massachusetts, we discovered a building for sale which seemed to hold great promise. And it was familiar, the owner was a very good former customer of my Dad’s during Yankee Candle’s heyday.

The ultra-fragrant Kringle Candle line unites the

best of the traditional and the new…

At over 18,000 square feet, the place seemed much larger than I’d conceivably ever need. But as we looked around Dad said, “Just imagine the options for a moment. Production would fit nicely in this area, packaging and shipping goes over there, and this section could be an ideal showroom/retail space.”

I had to agree with my father, the property offered lots of flexibility and having a store made solid sense. His theory held that to be a good manufacturer you ideally have to be a good retailer of your own product. It’s the very best way to learn why a product sells, or doesn’t.

So, not long before Christmas 2009, the Kringle Candle Company was born. And our new home is less than twenty miles from Yankee Candle, on the very same state highway. I’m proud that the company my Dad created is so close by, and that we offer a high quality product and visitor experience as well.

The ultra-fragrant Kringle Candle line unites the best of the traditional and the new, with exciting candle products designed to mesh with virtually any decor. We’ve worked hand-in-hand with the industry’s finest perfumers to select an array of robust, realistic candle fragrances. Our all-white candles not only blend perfectly with all backdrops, they emit the purest, brightest light possible.

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