I have over 30 years of expanding responsibilities and experience in the development, testing and production of candles. I have worked closely with production, engineering, planning and scheduling, accounting, purchasing, sales and marketing personnel.

My professional career has been spent primarily in Research and Development working with waxes, perfumes, dyes, pigments and other candle additives, has helped to increase production efficiencies, reduce scrap and develop stable, marketable candles. His involvement with the National Candle Association over the last 18 years has brought increasing responsibilities, including Technical Committee Chairman, Board member and ASTM chairman of the candle standards development initiative. Most recently, Jim has chaired a task group which is addressing candle fire safety standards.

• Managed projects to select equipment and develop formulations for two new types of candles; slender pillars and fluted columns. Improved formulations for glass, taper and pillar candles.
• Researched and implemented the use of a new plastic material for molding pillar candles, reducing scrap by at least 50%. Managed project to automate and improve production efficiencies for pillar candles, reducing labor costs by 20%.
• Implemented Statistical Process Control (SPC) in the taper, pillar, fluted column and glass-filled candle lines to reduce scrap and improve production efficiencies.
• Developed new bills of materials for candles and assisted with the development and implementation of a MRP (materials requirements planning) system to improve the just-in-time production of product.
• Assisted with the yearly candle cost targets for the accounting department to use as standards for the coming fiscal year.