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WAYFARER (wey-fair-er) – noun. A traveler, esp. on foot.
The story begins in the summer of 2004. We were living in New Orleans and loving our new home. The food, the people, the culture, everything about the city was just as we’d imagined. We thought for sure the move to the “Big Easy” was a permanent one. Hurricane Katrina, however, had other plans for us.
After the storm we regrouped to just outside of Chicago – Naperville, IL to be exact, and started pouring candles in our kitchen. Business was brisk and we rather quickly made the move out into the garage. After enduring a cold winter in an unheated garage, we have now found a home for our manufacturing and small retail space in downtown Naperville. People fell in love with our candles and scents – we’ve since added space, hired employees and are now focused on bringing the joy of our candles to the rest of the world.
What had started off as a temporary refuge from the storm appeared to be more long term than we initially envisioned.
We started this company with the help of friends and family because we knew we could make great candles and bring a sense of freshness and innovation to the candle industry. You can smell it in our fragrances and you can see it in our packaging. In the not too distant future we plan to change the way people buy and burn candles… but that’s a surprise still. Stay tuned to see what else we have up our sleeves!
Wayfarer
Candles
We still hand pour each and every candle. We feel this is the best way to bring the candles to you. It adds a touch of humanity and character to the product. It’s not just another candle rolling down some massive assembly line.
The wax seal on the side of the glass is the final step in the production process and serves as our Seal of Approval to show the candle has passed the quality control standards we have set for ourselves.
I cannot take credit for the look of the wax seal. A friend of mine in New Orleans, who also created this website, originally helped come up with the idea. My sincere “thank you” to him for coming up with the concept. It lends a very elegant look to the candles.
Community Service and Charity
Wayfarer candles is dedicated to giving back to our community and other
charities. We have contributed thousands of dollars to local schools and
organizations to help raise money for their causes including:
Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Embrace a Family, Williams Syndrome Association, Neuqua Valley Booster Club, American Cancer Society, Naper Elementary School, Naperville North High School, Naperville Cares, United Way, Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, Camerata for North Central College, Community Career Center, Support Our Troops Illinois Inc., and others.
For Christmas of 2007 we sent over 2000 candles overseas to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We thank them for their sacrifice and willingness to serve. Contributions from our customers and vendors helped make this past Christmas special for us and hopefully gave thousands of soldiers a little taste (smell) of home.
A Word About Soy
Candles
There is a
reason why soy wax candles have become so popular recently. Invented only about 12 years ago, soy wax has a number of benefits over traditional paraffin wax candles.
• Soy burns virtually soot-free
• Soy is water-soluble, so spills clean up with hot soap and water
• Soy burns approximately 30% longer than paraffin wax candles – our 8oz. tumbler burns for over 50 hours
• Soy wax comes from soy bean oil which is a renewable resource primarily grown by U.S. farmers (close to 50% of the global soy production comes from the U.S.)
We are often asked why we don’t offer colored candles. The reason is simple. We prefer to avoid the petroleum-based color dyes used to make the rich, dark colors you often see in candles. Anything you put into a candle must burn out – so we are very selective about our ingredients and avoid unnecessary additives.
There are additives that help prevent the wax from pulling away from the sides of the glass or give the wax a smooth, creamy texture, or that prevent discoloration when the candles are exposed to sunlight. Again, we prefer the slight variations that give the hand made look over putting chemicals into the wax that will have to eventually burn out.
The Studio
From hard luck to good luck. We managed to find the perfect home for our candle studio!
Right in the heart of the downtown Naperville shopping area we came across a gem of a place. In an area rapidly being dominated by restaurants, bars, and big name retail stores there is a wonderful old building built in 1916 by the Freemasons located at 34 W. Jefferson Avenue.
In a downstairs shop below the Antique Mall you’ll find a wonderfully decorated, cozy retail space showcasing our candles and other gifts. Stainless steel tables covered with tumblers and votives waiting to be filled line the walls in the back.
In a small “room” at the end of a long hallway is where the magic takes place. What initially appeared to be a small side room was actually an old safe. Inside we found the massive front door weighing several hundred pounds which we returned to its rightful place.
Manufactured by the Hall’s Safe and Lock Company of Cincinnati, the old safe was taken from a Depression era bank failure and was re-installed into this building by the Freemasons. Dirt and grime hid wonderful filigree designs and a landscape painted on the door. Though scarred and scraped from years of neglect, we managed to clean it up; and it now serves as a great showpiece in the studio.
If you ever find yourself in Naperville, outside of Chicago, please stop by the studio – we’d love to have you!
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WAYFARER
CANDLE COMPANY 
