Colonial Candle, Seasons of Cannon Falls merge sales forces

Blyth, Inc., has combined its sales organizations for Midwest's Seasons of Cannon Falls and Blyth Homescents' Colonial Candle brands.

Midwest makes seasonal holiday and home expressions while Colonial Candle offers premium candle and home fragrance products. Both are divisions of Greenwich, Conn.-based Blyth, Inc., a Home Expressions company.

The brands will debut together in the upcoming summer gift shows in the nine Midwest showrooms.

The new sales force is headed by Midwest Vice President of Sales Renee Solczak, who has more than 25 years of retail and wholesale sales and management experience in the giftware and home decor industry.

Intended to focus more sales resources on independent gift and premium specialty retail channels, the newly merged sales force features 120 company-employed, direct sales reps. Shelli Lissick, Midwest brand communication specialist, said no other combinations are planned within the divisions, but said more could come if this one goes as well as expected.

Blyth also owns CBK, a home accents company that focuses on independent home accent, furniture and gift stores.

"Combining Midwest's Seasons of Cannon Falls brand with the strong heritage of Colonial Candle makes for a powerful force in the home expressions and home fragrance categories," Midwest President Jeff Wilson said. "Under this new structure, we can bring even more innovative products and programs to our retail partners to better serve their needs."