Since 1949, General Wax & Candle Company has been a provider of quality candles, establishing a strong foundation in institutional sales. The company's commitment to quality, in-house expertise, and innovation has allowed it to thrive in the candle industry for over seven decades.
General Wax & Candle Company started by serving institutions like restaurants, florists, and churches. These institutions require the best quality candles because they burn millions of candles every year. The company prides itself on creating great quality candles at competitive prices.
Unlike many modern companies that embrace outsourcing, General Wax maintains an in-house approach. This involves hiring the best possible people, providing thorough training, and cultivating expertise within the company's operations. The company also values its employees, and supports equality between individuals.
With an average employee tenure of over 12 years, General Wax fosters a stable and experienced workforce. This contrasts sharply with the average tenure of around two years in many other companies, highlighting the company's successful management and positive work environment.
General Wax's production employees are candle artisans with years of experience. They understand wax and candles in a way that can only come from many years of experience. For example, taper candles are veneered by hand. The candle artisan, who has to have a precise eye for color and coverage, controls the speed and temperature of the dipping.
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The company's well-trained order processing staff is equipped to assist customers with their diverse needs. With over 10,000 active finished goods part numbers, General Wax caters to a wide array of candle applications and settings.
General Wax & Candle Co. designs its own candle-making equipment. Instead of simple candle molds, the company utilizes complex systems. These systems include a multiprocessor central computer system, hooked to a fiber-optic network, communicating with Pentium PCs, hooked to programmable logic controllers, robotic arms, heat sensors, color sensors, proximity sensors, air cylinders, pumps, and the like. These systems are designed, built, installed, tested, and maintained by company engineers.
While occasionally purchasing equipment from outside vendors, General Wax benefits significantly from manufacturing its own equipment. This approach allows for greater control over the production process and facilitates continuous innovation.
Candles from General Wax undergo rigorous testing to ensure optimal performance. The testing process begins with the wax itself. Waxes are refined by a variety of methods and from a variety of crude sources. It is possible for different batches to have different characteristics. The company's on-site laboratory, supervised by the Chief Chemist, subjects wax samples to various tests, including colorfastness, penetration, and manufacturing characteristics. The Chief Chemist then makes any changes that are necessary to the formulas so that the company can manufacture the best quality candle possible.
A delicate balance between wax formula, perfume, dye, candle diameter, candle height, and burning requirement is essential for candles to burn properly. Candles should generally burn without dripping or smoking, and be relightable after they have been extinguished. General Wax burn tests its candles inside special cabinets in a temperature-controlled environment. Lab technicians, aided by a special slow-motion video camera, monitor the burning times and burning characteristics of the candles. This allows the company to tune its waxes and wicks to burning perfection.
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General Wax uses light and temperature testing to test the lightfastness of its formulas and its finished candles.
At General Wax & Candle Co., the company stays right on the leading edge of automation. The goal is not to replace people with computers but to enhance their abilities to produce the best product possible, with the best service at the most competitive prices possible. The company utilizes high-performance Unix-based systems, running its own custom software. These are hooked via fiber optic and regular ethernet networks to a variety of Pentium workstations running Microsoft Windows. Macintoshes are also utilized along with several Linux servers. The company's software is modified constantly to improve its accuracy and response times.
The entire operation is integrated into the computer system and is carefully managed by company executives using the up to the minute data provided by the system. Additionally, the company keeps a detailed history of every transaction for seven years.
One of General Wax & Candle Co.'s priorities is to reduce its carbon footprint and the impact of its activities on the environment as much as possible. To help achieve that goal and reduce wastes, the company has adapted its operations and set up recycling programs that permit it to restock and reuse certain glasses and other recyclable materials, when possible, whilst allowing its customers to save money.
General Wax offers a diverse range of products, including:
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An example of a specific product is the advent taper candle and ring set which includes a 10” brass advent ring and 10” taper candles in purple, rose, and white. The shiny advent wreath ring included in the set has many ways it can be used and displayed.
General Wax provides multiple ways for customers to engage with the company and manage their orders:
General Wax utilizes social media and email newsletters to stay connected with its customers:
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