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ITHACA, NY—For Sunbeam Candles, business is on. The candlemaker is planning a renovated, expanded facility and new operations.
The company It was started in 2004 by company president David Gould and moved to Enfield six years later. Looking to carve out a niche in the candle industry, Sunbeam and its eco-friendly approach have gained a slice of the market.
The company makes bee candles by hand using the company’s own solar power equipment and suppliers of 100% renewable energy sources. It also ships using the US Carbon Neutral Program before using any plastic in its packaging. If one goes by this eco-friendly pricing approach, the main buyers of the products are 1,200 specialty natural food and product stores across the country.
A firm is not only eco-conscious, but energy-conscious. Sunbeam is a certified living wage employer in Tompkins County, and shares 10% of its annual profits with employees who have at least one year of service to the company.
Business is booming and booming for Sunbeam. The company secured a contract to supply Whole Foods stores in the northeastern United States and grew its wholesale customer base by 20 percent by 2021, while total sales increased by 47 percent.
With these bright business opportunities, the company plans to outgrow its existing 2,300 square foot facility on Mecklenburg Road in Enfield and purchase and renovate two 5,000 square foot buildings at 127 and 129 Hornbuck Road in Dunby. To serve as its new, large production facility. Interior plans call for electrical upgrades, new roofing in the building, a new drainage system, office space renovations, new overhead doors, a concrete pad between the buildings and a new large solar panel array to meet the business’s electrical needs. Total renovation costs are estimated at $700,000.
Along with the new digs come new places. Sunbeam is looking to add fifteen full-time employees over the next three years to supplement its current roster of 10-17 people (some positions are seasonal). As of now, all positions pay a minimum living wage.
The company applied for a tax break from the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency to offset some of the cost of the expansion project, along with its own equity, conventional loans and a low-interest business development loan from IAED. The requested exemptions include a $14,955 property tax abatement that expires over seven years, a $24,000 sales tax exemption for the purchase of materials and equipment, and a $1,375 mortgage filing tax exemption, for a total of $40,300 in tax incentives on a $700,000 project. dollars to achieve local economic benefits.
Because the stimulus package request is less than $100,000, a public hearing is not required. The IDA unanimously approved the stimulus package at its meeting in June.
The redevelopment plans are currently being reviewed by the Town of Danby Planning Board, which will hold a meeting this evening. An opening date for the Danby facility was not specified in the documents obtained, but it could be as early as this fall when Whole Foods can begin manufacturing candles.
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