‘Rescued Wine’ Candles Illuminates The Importance Of Saving
Our Furry Friends
Holiday time is a wonderful time to share unique products that make great gifts for others. As such, I’ve been holding onto one of these gems so that I may spring it on you this season. Mind you, it’s been killing me to do so, so 'in love' am I with the entire concept behind, of which, I know you will be too. I discovered it while on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard last summer. What a treat to behold, especially since I am such a huge animal lover, like many of you.
Put out by company named Rescued Wine, this candle line is incredibly ingenius as well as environmentally friendly, and socially aware. It’s “good” on every level. Each candle is handcrafted - a combination of repurposed, discarded wine bottles and soy. There are a variety scents, all centered upon your favorite types of wine. And every bottle helps to rescue animals through the revenue of the sales generated. So for every candle you buy for yourself or give as a holiday gift, some lucky dogs and cats find safety in your purchase. Knowing that, why would you ever buy another brand of candle?
It’s a question Rescued Wine owner Craig Davies will further challenge you with through his inspirational interview below.
What is Rescue Wine’s mission statement?
To give back to animal rescue groups and save the environment one bottle at a time.
Share the details of how the company came into being,including the year the company was founded.
We were founded in 2001. We’ve been in the market for four years. I’ve been making candles for 19 years, owning a few different candle companies along the way. Rescued Wine was born from my wife and my desire to “give back”. In 2000, we began to look for containers to house a new types of candle. We settled on wine bottles, partnering with a number of local restaurants in order to repurpose theirs -- a great way to recycle. The idea made sense, given the rate of discard of wine bottles among restaurants. During that time, we were also fostering dogs. We tied the two together and came up with Rescued Wine. We became profitable last year, 2015.
How many people work for the company currently?
Three employees and myself and my wife -- five.
Given you create every candle by hand, how many candles per year do you make?
Typically, we produce a couple hundred candles a day.
How long does it take to make each candle?
It’s a full day’s work, consisting of processing the bottles, completing the candle making, and then preparing for future day’s work. All of our candles are made of soy.
Explain your distribution model, including your most profitable outlet?
In the last four years, we’ve had over 1000 retailers pick up our product, with a core retail group of 300. Collecting the bottles, sorting, and processing them takes the most time. Certain retailers, require consistency so that adds to the labor.
Do you plan to expand beyond candles at some point?
The summer of 2016, we launched a soap line: a champagne, pinot noir, and Sauvignon blanc. We are also have begun working with a gift tote company -- Alice’s Cottage. Each tote will contain a candle and a bar of soap. These totes are designed to empower women.
Share the social cause element to your operation.
Animal rescue groups. We began with our local humane society and expanded our list from there. We are contacted daily by new animal rescue group organizations and nonprofits.
When all is said and done, how does this company want to be remembered?
My personal goal, as an owner of this company, is to produce “a one of a kind product with a greater purpose.”
As we all know that candles are a necessary addition to the holiday season, why not rescue a furry friend in the process by doing what you would be doing anyway -- buying a ton of them. You will be giving a one-of-a-kind gift whose specialness extends well beyond the nifty scent and container it comes in. Tis the season of illumination, folks. I hardly doubt that another gift could offer so many virtues in observance of this than a Rescued Wine candle.
Many thanks to Craig Davies for making this interview possible