Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Ryan and I am the owner of Harmon's Farms Candle Company. I manufacture, market, and sell hand-crafted soy wax candles for both retail and wholesale.
What do your customers love most about your product(s)?
I find that our customers appreciate the high quality fragrance oils used in our candles. Because Harmon's Farms uses top quality oils it provides our clientele with fragranced candles that will fill their space without smelling obtrusive or artificial. Along with the pleasant aroma, our glass jars have full glass adhesion providing a very elegant candle for a centerpiece, entranceway, or mantle.
What valuable experience/knowledge did you have before starting your business?
I worked in the hospitality industry for over two decades. That experience greatly enhanced my ability to comfortably interact with our clientele at markets and with various shop owners as we expand our wholesale reach. In addition, I am a very firm believer in a liberal arts approach to our business strategy. Having knowledge and ability in cooking, growing our own food organically, entertaining guests, as well as playing guitar and recreational sports are a few hobbies which influence our approach to our lives and business.
What is the latest thing you have been working on?
My wife and I recently relocated to the Twin Cities. After growing up in Duluth and attending Concordia College, Moorhead, I spent 16 years in the Carolinas. There I helped run successful restaurants, learned my candle making craft, and met my wife. With her acceptance of a position at the University of Minnesota, we moved to St. Paul. We are excited to become members of the vending community here and continue to craft quality candles for new clientele. The relocation has created new opportunities to expand the business, not only to new clientele, but also through an expanded business model for wholesale manufacturing.
Where did your business name come from? Is there an interesting story behind it?
Harmon's Farms Candle Co. was named after our eldest dog, Harmon. He is a lab mix and approaching 15 years old! We also have an awesome chocolate lab named Brew. He has a line of candles under our Brewline label. With our two dogs, vegetable garden, and five backyard chickens, we felt comfortable calling it a farm. We can't wait to create the same home environment here in St. Paul.
Will you be featuring any special holiday items?
Yes! This year we will feature our 3 seasonal fragrances. Holiday has a perfect blend of cinnamon and baking spices. Wreath features an herbaceous blend of rosemary, pine with a subtle aroma of mint. Our SnowFall fragrance is cool and refreshing with notes of fresh grapefruit, pine and an undertone of cedar. These fragrances will be available this Holiday season in several sizes including our 10oz straight sided tumbler, 20oz status jar, and 8oz travel tin.
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