Julie Normandin began making candles a few years ago but it wasn’t until boyfriend Jeremy Bliven came into the picture – bringing with him a glass-cutting background – that WICK-ed Candle Co. was born.
The co-owners reuse glass bottles – liquor, beer, wine, etc. – collected from restaurants, bars and friends as the vessels for their candles.
“It’s our niche,” said Bliven of the upcycling habit.
“It’s crazy how much the [company] has grown,” he said. Nearly 1 year old, WICK-ed is partially run out of Hope Artiste Village in Pawtucket, where the candles are poured and the pair keep a retail space, to go with a kiosk in Providence Place mall. In addition, he said, the company has three warehouse spaces across the state. Over the past nine months, the company has hired four employees.
Bliven enjoys the work but added, “There’s no 9-5 guarantee – some weeks are a little more stressful than others but overall we’re loving it. Startup businesses are never easy.”
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, Gowdey-backus@PBN.com.
