A Short History on Faroy Candles

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Over 50 years ago Addison McElroy and Preston Frazier put their names behind their home-made candles and started Faroy candles. Although Frazier is now set to retire, and the company has since become a division of the much larger Home Fragrance Holdings, the story of Faroy candles did not start as an entrepreneurial dream.

Like a lot of people who have just finished college and started their careers, money was in short supply for the two roommates. They decided to make their own Christmas candles one fateful year, and created such a great product that everyone who received one wanted more.

When the buyer for a Houston department store, and later Neiman-Marcus asked Addison and Preston to make them some samples, the future of Faroy candles was born. A manufacturer's representative soon picked up the line, and before long Preston had hired his mother to help, he and Addison keep up with the orders. At that time, each candle was poured and carved by hand, an obsolete process that would not be able to keep up with the demand today.

Preston Frazier and Addison McElroy (Faroy, a combination of the two surnames,) have attributed the enormous success of their company to several traits that were unique to their company at the time. First, their candle color palette spanned 28 colors, more than any other manufacturer.

Secondly, when the founders of the now famous Dansk tableware company requested special candles for their candle holders, the Faroy brand received exposure to a larger and more sophisticated customer base. The company continued to bring out innovative and popular styles of candles every few months, which drove the brand's sales.

Faroy's success can be attributed to their great timing, but more to their pioneering innovations in the candle industry.