History of Yankee Candle CompanyA simple gift from a young man to his mother is responsible for the birth of a successful company. That young man was Mike Kittredge and he melted crayons to create a candle for his mother for Christmas. The creation was an instant hit with friends and neighbors and he found it difficult to keep up with the demand. The result of that simple gift to his mother turned into a multi-million dollar company. In 1969, a young man gave a special gift for his mother; In 1999 the Yankee Candle Company became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The company currently has more than 17,500 locations worldwide. (Hoovers, 2007) The Yankee Candle Company has been a true success since its meager beginnings in the kitchen of Mike Kittredge's parents' home in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The candles produced by this company are known for their longevity and their unique aromas that permeate the space in which they are burned. In some homes candles have become a tradition. Macintosh Smells like burnt apple in the fall, pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, or mistletoe at Christmas, whatever the occasion or mood, Yankee Candle smells appropriate. It's almost impossible to believe that it all started with a melted box of crayons. Uniqueness is what differentiates Yankee Candle Company from its competitors. Their three main competitors are Bath & Body Works, Blyth and Lancaster County. The three main competitors do not specialize in candles but offer a myriad of other products to the selective consumer. Ratios Below are financial ratio calculations for Yankee Candle Company, Inc. All figures are compiled from fiscal 2006 and 2005 reports. Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities = Current Ratio1,833,683/104,104= 17.61 Turnover Ratio inventorycost of goods sold/average inventory held72,981/77,399.5= 0.9Receivables turnover/credit sales/average trade receivables49.3/40.7= 1.2Debt to equity ratio total liabilities/total equity104 .104/ 381,577= 0.27 Return on Equity / Average Total Assets 32,198/125 = 257.6 Return on Equity / Capital Employed (36,033)/381,577 = 9.4% Gross Margin on Sales - Cost of Goods Sold / sales452,230-241,742/452,230210,488/452,230=47%Indicators to RatiosAn organization's financial ratios are compared to other companies with which it competes or to the average of similar industries in the same sector.