DENMARK'S CANDLE. Raymond Rusell, 29, from Bayambang, Pangasinan is into candle-making. His small, micro and medium enterprise is called Denmark's Candle, producing decorative, scented, and even organic candles. (Photo by Hilda Austria)
BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan -- Denmark’s Candle, a small, micro and medium enterprise (MSME) in this town that is expanding its market within Pangasinan and Metro Manila with its unique decorative and organic scented candles, is actually being managed by a millennial.
In an interview Saturday, 29-year-old Raymond Rusell said it was in 2017 when he decided to explore the business of candle-making, which used to be the bread and butter of his family.
Rusell was a graduate of Hotel and Restaurant Management course, and worked as a bartender, among his other list of employment.
“I felt that I don’t want to be an employee, I wanted to go into business and I had the interest in continuing my father’s candle-making business since I was the only one among us six siblings who wanted it,” he added.
His father, Romer, 59, used to work in a well-known candle factory in Metro Manila. He even became a sub-contractor, wherein the factory gave him raw materials and he got to produce the candles back here in his hometown.
“He used to bring me at the factory and at 12 (years old), I learned to curve for orchid design candles. I actually earned as much as PHP500 per day by just curving during those times,” Rusell recalled.
However, the factory stopped giving them raw materials as many other sub-contractors, who were also able to produce the same product as theirs, emerged that made the competition stiffer.
“My father continued the business on his own, but it did not do well since candle-making is a seasonal business and there were already many other candle manufacturers unlike before,” he said.
A FATHER'S LEGACY. Romer Rusell, 59, carve the molders for Denmark's Candle's different designs, such as rose, cactus, among many others. He used to work in a candle factory in Metro Manila where he learned the craft. However, the business did not do well which prompted him to stop. In 2017, his son, Raymond, managed the business. (Photo by Hilda Austria)
Rusell said with the help of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) through the Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) program, he was able to acquire some knowledge on how to enhance their product, as well as manage the business properly.
KMME aimed to assist MSMEs scale up and sustain their enterprises by equipping them with the needed skill sets by way of theoretical or conceptual lectures and mentoring or coaching sessions.
It is a coaching and mentoring program consisting of 10 modules to be conducted in 12 weeks, and undertaken in partnership with institutions specializing in functional areas of entrepreneurship, according to DTI.
“I’ve learned about mind setting, development of the product, marketing strategy, even documentation and labeling of our products, and many other things that I didn’t know about business. It is not that easy to do business but I gained confidence to do it anyway,” Rusell said.
He added there was even collaboration with one of the mentors in the program, who is an artist and owner of an arts and craft store, turning their ordinary candles into something more with designs they came up with.
The DTI, Rusell said, provided also an opportunity for him to market their candles in Japan, along with other MSMEs from the country, last December.
“We were trained during our stay in Japan, and sold our products in the booths provided by DTI,” he said.
Rusell recently became a member of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc.
“Denmark’s candle started with a PHP20,000 capital with just my father and I as workers. Since I got an additional capital of PHP100,000 from a loan from Small Business Corporation of the DTI at a very low interest and there was no collateral, our business expanded. We now have two regular workers and more during peak seasons,” he said.
Currently, Rusell’s clients are hotels and funeral homes in the province and some stores in Metro Manila.
From ordinary candles, Denmark’s is now into decorative, scented, and even organic candles. The bestseller is the calla lily.
“Our candles are still handmade. It was our advantage that my father is very good at carving molders. Our designs cannot be done by machines. I also use organic materials now as requested by our hotel clients since it is smokeless and aromatic as well as environment-friendly,” he said.
Rusell hopes to acquire machines in order to mass produce ordinary candles, and sold his products to more stores.
Rusell is encouraging his fellow millennials to find their passion, and explore doing business on their own.
“If they have ideas then, they should try to implement it. They should try to start even with little capital. Also, that they take advantage of the training and other support from the national government through DTI. They need to undergo training because on our own, we know little; and after all, there is help for us to expand our business and they will provide updates and opportunities,” he added.
ONE TOWN ONE PRODUCT. Denmark's candles on display at the One Town One Product Hub at Binmaley, Pangasinan. (Photo courtesy of Raymond Rusell's Facebook page)
Denmark's Candle can be reached through Rusell's Facebook account (Raymond Iglesias Rusell) for inquiries and orders of their product. Its products are also being sold at the One Town One Product Hub in Binmaley, Pangasinan. (PNA)
