Lexington, KY - Visitors to the Brownstone Candle Company's storefront on North Ashland Avenue are greeted with a pleasant yet discreet scent and a view decorated with unique products from women entrepreneurs across Kentucky. The unobtrusive, clean scent, as founder and owner Jenna Arvin details, is from the soy wax that she chooses to use in her candles. Soy wax is not only easier on the lungs, eyes, and sinuses than traditionally used paraffin, but it is also a renewable resource.
Arvin founded the Brownstone Candle Co. in 2008 after experiencing small-scale success in candle making during the evenings and weekends, while holding down her former career in the pharmaceutical industry. She started out selling primarily on the West Coast with a Seattle-based sales organization that represented her specialty line of pure soy candles. She has since worked with independent representatives and sales groups throughout the United States to establish a retail presence in more than 40 states, as well as internationally.
Arvin said she spends a great deal of time researching the market and testing leading candle brands, and she has found large mass producers who cut quality to make a profit, but only scenting the top portion of the candle, for instance, or using low-grade fragrance oils, she said.
"Instead of going head to head with mass-market brands, I decided to focus on producing niche candles of the highest quality, using materials procured in America and the most unique and high-quality fragrances I could find, and with all packaging design done in-house. So far this formula has proven to be successful for us," Arvin said.
One of the favorite Brownstone Candle Co. collections sold locally is that of the Kentucky Candle Collection, which includes the popular scents Christmas in Kentucky, Kentucky Sunrise, Whiskey Sour, Bluegrass, Cigar Shop, Wild Blackberry and Honeysuckle Vine, among others. This collection serves as a symbol of the commitment Arvin has to keeping things local. One of her main goals is to give back to the community by providing jobs through her business, which has already been a success in the company's production plant just outside of Lexington.
"Our best-selling line nationwide is our Vintage collection, but my personal favorite is the Kentucky Candle. I am proud of our state and the rich traditions we have, so this was an easy concept for me to develop. It has been extremely well received statewide, which speaks to the love that all Kentuckians have for the state," said Arvin.
Although Arvin is the primary business owner, her husband, Tim, makes a valuable contribution as well. As a commercial photographer and a former microbiologist, he helps with formulas and making a strong visual presence for the company.
"My greatest asset is my husband," Arvin said. "Tim has had a key role in formulating our own fragrances. He will play a significant role as we branch out into bath and body products, as any product that has skin contact must be carefully developed and tested. The two of us together have been responsible for all of the packaging design and visual marketing tools we use."
Having in-house imaging and graphics expertise makes for a rapidly growing private label section of the company. It is because of this private label option that customers at Brownstone Candle Co. range from individuals to small businesses and even some high-profile clients, such as the Ritz-Carlton.
"We keep our minimum purchase requirements relatively low, to provide everyone access," Arvin said. "Many clients, such as banks, Realtors, architecture firms, etc., use our products as gifts for their clients. It's a very simple process where the client chooses the container and sends us their logo, then we format it to fit the label. After they sign off on the proof, it is generally three to four days for delivery of the product."
Brownstone Candle Co. has candles at wholesalers throughout the entire country, including retailers in the Lexington area. The company has been located at North Ashland, primarily as a wholesale packaging and shipping facility, for nearly two years, but most recently opened up a storefront, in which they plan to showcase unique container candles. Soon, they will also offer pillar and taper candles. Their plan is to offer items not available in the retail stores, so that they don't compete with their retail partners.
"We love the diversity of the North Ashland business district and the close proximity to downtown. Having lived in the Ashland Park area for several years, we were quite familiar with the area. It was our first choice for the location of our packaging facility," Jenna Arvin said.
She described the company's typical customer as one who loves a wonderfully scented and inviting home environment, but also maintains a sense of style. Most customers also love the idea of supporting America's farmers by purchasing products made of domestic soy wax, she said.
Brownstone Candle Co. is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and can also be visited at its website: www.brownstonecandle.com.