By: Ellen Cans
A candle company in Industry City, once a mere hobby for its founder, has become a multi-million dollar business. Brooklyn Candle Studio, founded in 2013 by Tamara Mayne, has become a huge success.
Mayne, who is originally from Virginia, was working as a designer and art director in New York City when she started making candles on the side as gifts for family and friends. As per Crain’s NY, she started melting wax after work in her studio apartment, and selling online when orders started rushing in. “Initially, all I wanted was to make a living off candles,” said Mayne. “It has grown into something I never would have imagined.” In 2014, she quit her job to create Brooklyn Candle Studio. Though there was success, she says the expansion was always slow and cautious. She always tried to avoid debt, and took on more space and employees slowly, only after receiving orders she knew would require more resources to fill. “We could have grown a lot faster, but I didn’t want to overextend myself,” Mayne said.
Today, she oversees a 15-person production team that does not outsource production. The company has its own three-day pouring, wicking, curing and packaging process to produce domestically grown soy wax, natural oils and vegan ingredients. Its products are sold at large retailers including Nordstrom, West Elm, and Whole Foods as well as hundreds of smaller boutiques. To keep up with demand, the company now has plans to move to a 19,000-square-foot facility in Industry City. It is currently working out of an 11,000-square-foot space in the complex. The company employs 20 full time and 10 part time staffers.
The progress the company has made is remarkable. She started in a 150-square-foot co-working space in Red Hook. In 2015, after getting a large order from Urban Outfitters, she hired three employees and moved to a 500-square-foot studio in Industry City, which they outgrew again in 2016. Despite the growth, Mayne says she didn’t push to expand, and still operates with an unusually conservative plan. As per Crain’s, Mayne says Brooklyn Candle Studio still doesn’t work with lots of distributors, who charge a markup. Rather, the company uses word of mouth and markets its products at trade shows. The company also avoids outside investors. “This has granted us the freedom to come up with our own marketing initiatives without having to worry about meeting sales expectations,” said Mayne.
“Eventually we might consider selling the business if it makes sense, but not anytime soon,” Mayne added.
