WICKLOW CANDLE company Oberg is expanding into the UK after winning contracts with four major retailers.

The deals, with Selfridges, Fenwick, House of Fraser and Oliver Bonas, are for the supply of scented candles under the Max Benjamin brand.

Designed and made in Ireland, the soy wax candles are aimed at the luxury gift and homeware markets. Oberg is budgeting for the sale of 50,000 candles in the UK in its first year of trading there. They will be sold in stores including Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street, and Fenwick in Bond Street. Oberg, based in Enniskerry, is owned by the van den Bergh family. Mark van den Bergh, who designs the products, said Max Benjamin candles have been selling well in the Republic, despite the recession. This year, the firm is on track to sell 60,000 of the candles in its home market.

The UK is the firm’s “natural route for expansion”, he said.

“We have employed a sales team of five people who are working hard throughout the UK to build our brand there.”

The company is also tapping into expertise at Enterprise Ireland in an attempt to break the Spanish and German markets.

The van den Berghs are of Belgian descent, their grandfather having moved to Ireland with his family after the war, when aged six. Originally from a printing background, he went on to establish Shamrock Foods.