By Kimberly Busch Scott
Kim Davis and Debbie Hadlock of FoxFire Candles. |
Foxfire Candles, LLC of Parkersburg, adds another dimension to the
candle making business. Started in 1997 by Kim Davis so she could
spend more time at home with her mother Laura Lee Davis, making candles
seemed the right thing to do. The two became partners, and although
not all mothers and daughters see eye to eye when it comes to business
decisions, they were perfect partners sharing their talents, ideas
and working as a team. “Mom would do the wrapping and labeling,”
Kim said, and she would create the candles and packaging.
Recently left to carry on the business by herself after the death
of her Mom, Kim knew it would be more fun to have a business partner
to share thoughts on how to improve the business. After months of
work the word was out about the candles, but she didn’t have
time to do it all in addition to her full-time job at Industrial Contractors.
Debbie Hadlock, a full-time teacher, was looking for a creative outlet
to fill evenings and summer break from teaching. Friends for many
years, the two started talking one day about how much work was involved
for the business. The two got their heads together and decided they
were compatible business partners with a burning desire to make the
business larger.
The name Foxfire is a logical one for Kim. Fire is a natural when
thinking of candles and a fox is just one of the many animals Kim
likes. Her love of family pets, both canine and feline varieties,
is obvious as they are always around her work and home life. The two
names fit together and Kim and her Mom gave their seal of approval
to Foxfire Candles, LLC.
The quality of the Foxfire Candles can’t be beat, the business
partners say. “We use the maximum amount of scent allowed when
making the candles Technically, they are triple scented and made to
last. We make sure our candles are scented all the way through. Some
you buy aren’t scented all the way through. There is a point
that you can ruin the candle and you have to know where to start the
next process. We take a lot of time to center the wick and do it right.
We only sell the perfect candle and we use quality materials.”
One of Kim’s favorite hobbies is woodworking. Over the years
she has acquired various machines to make quality wood items. When
they needed a display for craft shows, Kim designed stackable wooden
crates that fold down for easy storing. The small wooden crates, a
perfect size for CD’s or tapes when not holding candles, were
the ideal containers for her fire starter candles - small scented
candles in unique shapes made for the fireplace. “Foxfire Reds”
are a big hit with many customers, Kim says. ‘Red’’
was her mother’s nickname because of her eye-catching dark red
hair. Foxfire Reds are used in home fireplaces or to start a fire
while camping.
The combination of handmade crates and candles resulted in their
acceptance at West Virginia’s Tamarack in September of 2001.
“Getting products into Tamarack isn’t an easy task,“
Debbie says. “You have to prove everything is handmade and write
out how it was made, even the crates. They told us we had a good product
and we got orders immediately. It was a very emotional moment, but
it was nerve-wracking, waiting most of the day for the results.”
One of Foxfire’s most popular candles is Apple Cinnamon Spice,
made with large slices of dried apples and cinnamon sticks. “This
candle takes more than one pour to finish the process, but it’s
worth it.” The partners say there are about 65 different scents
for candles, “So there are scents for every holiday and occasion
imaginable.”
They say the candle making business has very little stress, making
it a perfect activity for two women with other full-time jobs. Each
partner works in their Parkersburg workshop at their own pace..
Friends for several years, Debbie says they work through any problem.
They know each other’s strong abilities and tap into those skills
when it comes to the process of creating and packing the perfect candles.
“We don’t have a problem getting along,.’’
For additional information or to place an order with Foxfire
Candles, LLC, contact either Kim or Debbie at (304) 422-1750 or (304)
489-1379.
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