Hand Poured: Dream leads to gift shop, wholesale business

By NICKI BRUCE LOGAN

Herald Lifestyles Editor

After attending a candle party at a neighbor's home, Donise Foster says a glimmer of an idea blossomed and grew until she shared her business dream with her husband. Soon, Donise and Michael were processing their own candles in their home.

Both are graduates of Plainview High School and Wayland Baptist University, and while they had fulfilling careers at Wal-Mart Distribution and hospice care, the Fosters still had a dream of owning their own business.

"We wanted our own business and we wanted to produce a quality product," Donise explains.

The candle party gave her a vision of a popular product they could make with a minimum of overhead.

From the start of Kan Del's in 2002, the young couple was determined to make a success of their business while upholding high standards of quality. To do that, they have hand-poured each wickless candle, putting triple the amount of fragrance in each one.

Knowing the importance of marketing, the pair sold their products through trade shows, consultants, craft shows, scrub fairs, a Web site, fundraisers and retail stores.

"Michael and I have worked hard to market our product through various means - the newspaper has been instrumental in getting our product information out to consumers," she added. "We value our local media and resources."

By 2004, the Fosters outgrew their home "factory" and moved to their current business location at 605 Amarillo.

With 3,000 square feet, they made and sold their standard and wickless candles, then expanded into gifts and floral.

Kan Del's was a success, but the Fosters knew they wanted more.

Soon, Michael was pouring simmering chunks, an off-shoot of wicked candles.

"Our wickless, simmering chunks are founded on the simple idea of offering a safer alternative to traditional candles," Donise explains, adding that their simmering chunks are highly-scented blocks of wax designed to be heated in decorative warmers where the wax is melted.

An important element in the candles and simmering chunks is the intense scent Michael adds to a quality wax. Kan Del's offers 95 fragrances.

"Our scents bring emotions and memories to the surface," Donise says. "Our motto and logo is that our candles and chunks are ‘Hand Poured and Made From the Heart.' "

The next step in their business plan was to develop a wholesale clientele, starting two years ago by exhibiting at the Dallas Market Center.

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