Celtic Candles is a family run, Irish candle & diffuser making business which was established in 1993 by Gerry Stewart. When Gerry first started the business, he sold candles in bulk to establishments like restaurants, churches, and hotels. James, Gerry's son, recognized the additional business potential Celtic Candles possessed after earning his degree in marketing and identified a market opportunity to sell their products commercially. They began trading as a retailer as well as a wholesaler and quickly captured the interest of consumers.
In recent times, Celtic Candles have restructured manufacturing strategy to a locally sourced and production model and as a result, they have attracted the interest of over 500 Irish retailers. Gerry and James also decided to enroll in the LEO’s Green for Micro programme and make their business more sustainable and environmentally friendly, hence opening them up to the environmentally conscious market.
The Technical Assistance for Micro Exporters (TAME) grant has helped Celtic Candles gain a solid foothold in the UK market and has allowed them to attend tradeshows annually in both the UK and Ireland. Celtic Candles was also able to construct as an online shop selling their products with thanks to the LEO's Trading Online Voucher (TOV) programme. The LEO also assisted Celtic Candles in creating their business plan through the popular mentoring programme, which paired Gerry and James with a mentor who could best meet their individual needs.
You can find out more information about Celtic Candles here.