Yankee Candle accepts Patriot Award

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Andrew Biscoe
DEERFIELD, Mass. --  The Yankee Candle Company staff of more than 400 employees welcomed Massachusetts Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve officials to their
workplace Jan. 25 for a Patriot Award presentation.

Leslie Picard, director of quality and new product development, and Jim Scott, plant manager each accepted a Patriot Award from Earl Bonett, ESGR state
ombudsman and Massachusetts area chair.

Diane Swain, ESGR volunteer, and wife of Col. Robert Swain Jr., 439th Airlift Wing commander, also attended. To receive the Patriot Award, a company must be
nominated by a service member or a spouse of a service member. In Yankee Candle's case, that employee was a veteran reservist from Westover, Senior
Master Sgt. Craig Savoie, who has been employed at the company for more than ten years. Sergeant Savoie, a member of the 58th Aerial Port Squadron has
served more than 17 years in the military. He has deployed three times while employed at Yankee Candle, according to company spokeswoman Karen Fortin.

"Every time he leaves to serve his country he knows he has the support of Yankee Candle co-workers, management and supporting departments as well as the
comfort of a job to come back to," Ms. Fortin said. "Many of his co-workers email him, send him letters and, just this past deployment, they put together
care packages ranging from snacks to heath and beauty aids to photographs of his Yankee Candle team while he was away."

Ms. Fortin said when Sergeant Savoie learned of the Patriot Award nomination process, it was his way of personally thanking the company and his team for
all of their support while he was deployed.

"It is very gratifying to know after my tour of duty I have a home to come back to work at," he said. "I couldn't have done it without the support of my
team, my direct managers and all of the employees at Yankee Candle."

For more information on ESGR and how to recognize employers of reservists visit www.esgr.org.