Chesapeake Bay Candle Struggles to Open U.S. Factory

Chesapeake Bay Candle is a major player in the multibillion dollar scented candle industry.  In spite of its name, all its candles are made in Vietnam and China.  Recently, due to increasing wages in those countries and high shipping costs, the company decided the time was right to start making candles in the U.S.  What the company did not account for was how much more expensive it is to build a factory in the U.S., with many laws and codes to comply with.  The factory is now over budget and delayed, and the founders are wondering whether the U.S. is ready to compete with Asia for manufacturing business.

Chesapeake Bay Candle Struggles to Open U.S. Factory

Skin-Deep Gains for Amazon Tribe

The plant on the left is urukum, which is used to make a pigment dye for Uruku lipstick, made by Aveda on the right.  Aveda, a unit of Estee Lauder, buys Urukum from the Yawanawa Indian tribe in Western Brazil, where they have used urukum to make body paint for a long time.  Aveda joins a long list of companies, including Starbucks, Ben & Jerry's, Whole Foods, and The Body Shop, which uses cause-related marketing to convince consumers that their product are eco-friendly and can lead to sustainable community living as well.  The Yawanawa, however, don't make enough money selling the dye to Aveda to support themselves.  The project has become simple philanthropy for Aveda, not the sustainable business model it had hoped for.


Skin-Deep Gains for Amazon Tribe - WSJ.com