MediaBuyerPlanner: The Yankee Candle Company has agreed to be acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners, a private buyout firm, for $1.4 billion. The transaction will help it finance new stores and products.

The transaction is expected to be completed by Q1 2007, according to The New York Times. The company has been up for sale since July.

Bruce H. Besanko, Yankee Candle Company's CFO, says the company plans to expand its own brand as well as that of Illuminations, a candle maker with 15 stores, a catalog and an internet business.