After more than two years on Main Street in Damariscotta, Seawicks Candle Company is on the move.
Seawicks Candle Company was founded in 2011 by Michael and Cara Gaffney, of Edgecomb. What began as the couple making candles on their Edgecomb property has now led to shipping candles to retail stores across the country.
The couple decided to open a store at 112 Main St. in Damariscotta after the demands of the business outgrew what they could produce at their home. The store opened in May 2013 and was a great success, according to Michael Gaffney.
“By having that extra exposure of being right downtown and having those two huge windows, we were growing at a pretty steady rate,” Michael Gaffney said.
Michael and Cara Gaffney hand-pour all of their candles and use only American-grown soy beans. There are currently 28 scents in the Seawicks Candle line, six scents in the Weathered Sailor collection, and six scents in the Wild line.
The couple recently added a new line of candles called Farm Fresh, which has a dozen new scents.
Although the couple enjoyed their three years in Damariscotta, the need to relocate the store arose from a number of factors. Seawicks Candle Company now ships to more than 400 retailers across the country, a jump from 160 when the business first opened on Main Street.
“We had split the store in half and done the manufacturing on one side,” Michael Gaffney said. “We were starting to outgrow the space again.”
The desire to improve the store to fit the brand of Seawicks Candle Company also led the Gaffneys to seek new space.
“We really wanted something to highlight the brand, like hardwood floors and a bright space,” Michael Gaffney said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that here.”
The Damariscotta store opened for the last time Saturday, Nov. 7.
“We were open for Early Bird as a way to kind of say goodbye,” Michael Gaffney said.
The new store will be located at 8 Wharf Rd. in Boothbay Harbor. The Gaffneys plan to start using the store to manufacture candles in December and tentatively plan to open for business in May, Michael Gaffney said.
The Gaffneys have a lot of personal ties to Boothbay Harbor. Since the 1920s, Cara Gaffney said members of her family have lived on Squirrel Island, accessible by a ferry from Boothbay Harbor. Michael and Cara Gaffney were married there June 15, 2002, and Cara Gaffney said a lot of the scents’ names are taken from memories of Squirrel Island and Boothbay Harbor.
“It’s a great move for the business and a personal connection for us,” Michael Gaffney said. “We’re very excited about this next step.”
While the business transitions to Boothbay Harbor, candles will still be available for purchase at www.seawicks.com. The website also lists retail stores across the country where Seawicks candles are sold.
