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Rainbow Candles was founded in 1985 by Pete Kern in an old farmhouse just outside
the picturesque village of Dromahair in Co. Leitrim.
It all began on an old kitchen-table as a part-time job as there were not any coloured
candles available in and around Sligo.
After supplying a few shops in a radius of about 20 miles the demand for coloured and scented candles
grew and Pete turned the living-room into a workshop with the help of a grant from Leitrim County
Development Team, now known as the Enterprise Board.
1989 was the first year Rainbow Candles had a stand at Show-Case in Dublin and therefore
increased the sale nation-wide.
The introduction of a sales brochure at Show-Case '90 opened the International Markets.
By then the range of candles included pure beeswax, scented candles in Irish made pottery,
pillar, dinner and rainbow coloured candles, candles in glass such as the Irish Coffee and Guinness.
It became a full-time business to supply the ever growing demand. Every year the clientele of
independent retailers and craft shops grew and to maintain a short delivery time, a part-time worker
was employed. The part-time became full-time in '95 and another part-time worker was employed.
In August '94 the company was granted permission to use the Guaranteed Irish Logo and in December '95
Rainbow Candles has been admitted as a member of the Irish Guild of Master Craftsmen.
In '96 Rainbow Candles reached its production capacity as work and storage space became too small.
Therefore a new workshop was designed, a site was found and planning permission was granted by
the authorities in December '96.
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