CENTRAL MN MADE: Local Woman’s Candles In Demand Here and Abroad [AUDIO, GALLERY]

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HOLDINGFORD - We return with another installment of "Made in Central Minnesota," and this time, we're profiling candle-making entrepreneur Lisa Pfannenstein, owner of Briar Patch Primitives.

Pfannenstein been creating candles, potpourri and other crafts in her Holdingford shop since 2003. She travels to trade shows around the country to generate orders, and then ships in quantity to stores, resorts and catalogs around the world.

Briar Patch Primitives might sound homespun, but it's far from small. Pfannenstein doesn't ship or sell orders under $100. She sends semi-loads 3 times a week directly from Holdingford, and estimates around 50% of her creations make their way to the east coast.

Pfannenstein says the market for candles is huge and competitive, so she's constantly working with chemists to create original fragrances and products.

Pfannenstein says even though she's incredibly busy running her sparsely staffed workshop, owning her own creative business has helped her keep focused on another important job - being a wife and mother.

Pfannenstein says her ultimate business goal would be to buy a farmstead and turn it into a combination work space and gift shop.

In the meantime, she'll also continue to own "Briar Patch Mercantile," a gift shop with a variety of home decor items. They're located at 310 4th Avenue NE in Waite Park.