Success stories: Todd Green & Michael Gaffney, RoyalRiver Candle

Thirteen years at Yankee Candle, doing a lot of everything, was the best training Todd Green could have for his current gig as owner of the start-up Royal River Candle Co. Not that producing candles in his Freeport basement has a lot of similarity to the mega manufacturer, but you have to start somewhere.

Green and Michael Gaffney, his vp of sales, met when they were both employed by Village Candle in Topsham. Unhappy with that company, Green walked away from a comfortable job and, in January of this year, began producing his own candles by investing all of his savings.

“I think there’s a big segment of the market that people are taking their eyes off,” says Green, 38, who is clearly passionate about candles. He says many manufacturers are getting away from the fragrances that are true to life and evoke certain memories and warm feelings. That’s where Royal River Candle plans to find its niche, serving up scents like Wild Maine Blueberry, Nana’s Apple Pie and Country Lemon Squares that also come with recipes on the side of the glass jars.

The candles come in three sizes; 17.5 oz for $18, 9.5 oz for $12.95, 3.5 oz for $6.95. The guys believe smelling makes the sale. Their marketing approach includes quality service and making a connection with each client who sells their products.

RoyalRiver is a grassroots organization — so much so that Green built his own website and packages the candles himself — with a motto that reads: “Giving you a little extra light.” Eventually, Green and Gaffney would like to have a storefront to sell their products out of and they’d love to see demand that warrants production that can’t be handled in Green’s basement. But they’re willing to be patient.

“We’re not trying to be a $5 to $10 million company overnight,” Green says, “we just want to make candles, make a living and enjoy what we’re doing.

“You get to see people enjoy your candles and that’s the best.”

MISSION STATEMENT :

At Royal River Candle, Our Mission is giving you a little extra light.

To that end we commit to be : Passionately focused on delivering premium scented candles to our customers, customer service oriented business partners with our retailers and involved as responsible citizens in our community.

Candle Safety

At Royal River Candle, we want you to experience the maximum enjoyment and pleasure from our candles. We take great pride in making them using only the finest quality ingredients and materials. However, it’s very important that you burn candles responsibly to ensure their safe use. Please follow these guidelines to keep Royal River Candles a bright and beautiful part of your life.

Place on a protected, heat-resistant, dry surface, away from anything that can catch fire, and out of reach of children and pets.
Keep wick(s) trimmed to 1/8” at all times.
If smoking occurs, blow candle out. Trim wick(s), remove trimmings, and relight.
Keep the wax pool free of wick trimmings, matches, or any combustible material.
Never leave burning candles unattended. Keep them within sight at all times.
Keep all matches and lighters out of the reach of children.
Teach everyone in the family the rules of safe candle use.
Handle with care; glass containers are fragile. Avoid glass-to-glass contact when removing or replacing the lid. Do not use if the jar is cracked, chipped or scratched. Do not refill with wax.
Do not allow the flame to touch the side of the jar. The jar may become hot. Handle carefully.
To minimize wax left on the sides of the jar, burn 3 hours at a time; it is normal for some wax to be left. The amount will vary per color, fragrance and burning conditions.
Prevent possible heat damage to the counter/surface by discontinuing use when 1/2" of wax remains. Only burn in a suitable holder, or on a plate or other fire and heat resistant surface.
Extinguish carefully before replacing the lid.