Yankee Candle's Owners Explore Sale

The company, which was acquired by Chicago-based buyout firm Madison Dearborn Partners for $1.6 billion in 2006, is working with Barclays and Bank of America Merrill Lynch on a sale process that's still in the early stages, the people said. The people asked not to be named because the process isn't public. Representatives of Barclays and Bank of America declined to comment. Madison Dearborn didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.