Farming for Soy Candles: A New Cash-Crop that Grows in Midwest
Light from soy candles is shining a new financial opportunity for farmers in the U. S while providing a choice for the multi-billion dollar consumer candle market.
Zionsville, IN (PRWEB) December 2, 2006
Hidden in the farmlands of the Midwest is a crop that everyone's heard of, but no one knew would take on a life of its own: soy (bean) candles.
After a decade, the new invention of soy bean wax is providing consumers with an alternative to paraffin candles. "The differences between paraffin wax and soy bean wax is becoming a hot topic," explains Zionsville Candle Company CEO Chris Anderson. Anderson and his wife Marnie founded Zionsville Candle Company early last year and are wildly passionate about making and marketing natural soy candles.
"There are a ton of different opinions about soy versus paraffin wax," explains Chris. "It really depends who is the 'expert' you're listening to. And since Marnie and I started Zionsville Candle Company, we've been under the magnifying glass. But it's a little different. Being new to the industry, and just trying to make it past our start-up years, we still really in the product."
Hundreds of articles dispute the pros and cons of soy bean wax versus paraffin wax. Many of the articles, explains Chris, rely heavily on the source it's coming from. "It's so new, there really hasn't been an "official" stance taken yet. You can find some fairly reputable articles, but it's still best to let consumers make their own choice, especially after they've compared a true soy candle against a paraffin wax candle.
Anderson mentions that many "soy candles" are actually soy-paraffin hybrids. "What's the point of marketing a true soy candle, if you're still adding paraffin wax? We do believe in being honest and letting the consumer make their own choices," remarked Chris.
The very basic differences between soy and paraffin wax (that are hard to dispute) are: 1) soy candles burn cooler than paraffin wax. This has led many candle companies to claim that the soy candles burn up to 50% longer than paraffin wax. 2) soy candles are made from soy beans, a renewable energy source, unlike paraffin candles, that are a petroleum bi-product. 3) Many soy candle consumers claim that the residue from soy candles is completely different from the soot or residue from paraffin candles. 4) Soy candles support the U. S. agriculture economy. 5) Many paraffin candles are manufactured over-seas, supporting foreign trade, unlike soy candles, that are mostly produced from U. S. based soy beans.
"At this point, I can only speak for myself," remarks Anderson. "I can say that I've had a ton of customers compliment us on our candles, and many people thank us that they can now light multiple candles in their homes without complaints from their family members. One lady pulled me aside at a local gas station to tell me how her painter thanked her for switching to our soy candles because he used to have to 'treat' the walls before he painted them after she burned a bunch of paraffin candles. I didn't have a single burn on my body!"
"I'm happy to be promoting soy. If it's a bunch of crap, than I guess I was the biggest sucker." explains Chris. "All I know is that after burning thousands of candles in our home and office, we have yet to have one complaint from a family member or employee. The most incredible story is when I had an entire shelf-load of burning soy candles crash down all over my body. I was upset that we wasted all the testing-time, until two of my employees came running over to see if I was burned. If that had been a shelf-load of paraffin candles, I might have ended-up in the hospital."
And although soy bean wax is still "wax," it can be cleaned-up with hot, soapy water. Anyone who has spilled a paraffin candle on a counter-top or rug knows what's going on. "Try cleaning-up a paraffin mess. My roommate in college spilled paraffin wax on our new rug, and it was trashed," mentions Anderson.
The debate is still out, but the Anderson's are betting their future on soy bean wax, and many U. S. farmers will be happy with their decision.
Zionsville Candle Company was started in 2005, after the Andersons (who formerly owned ESC Promotions a national fundraising company, now owned by Wolfe Diversified Industries,) decided to change their focus on the health-minded soy candle market. ESC Promotions promotes school fundraising discount cards, sports passes, and ad specialties from their corporate office in Anderson, Indiana. ESC has helped thousands of schools across the U. S. raise millions of dollars from their fundraising systems. Zionsville Candles can be used as a fundraiser through ESC Promotions, and their production unit, MyPlasticCards. com produces high-quality plastic card and key tag products (also based in Anderson, Indiana.)
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