The Davisburg Candle Factory casts a spell on young and old alike.
Former owner Barbara Johns recently self-published a children’s book about the factory and a cat that lived there.
The current owners thought enough of the building after shopping there to buy it, despite having no experience in the candle business.
‘Our husbands said ‘you don’t know anything about making candles,? but we learned. It’s trial and error, practice makes perfect,? said co-owner Melissa Beznitz.
‘One thing about working with wax is if you goof you can just melt it down again, there’s no waste. You very seldom have to throw away wax,? said co-owner Phoebe Bojanzyk.
The three person ownership team of mother Phoebe and daughters Laurel Bojanzyk and Beznitz bought the factory in 2000. They try to keep the business running like it did when first opened over 30 years ago.
Everything in the factory is done by hand, said Beznitz. She pointed out even when the taper line and ball machine are used, they are hand operated.
The taper line is the factory’s defining feature. Crediting previous owner Charlie Going with making the line from old bicycle sprockets and roller skate wheels, Beznitz said the line can hold up to 176 pairs of taper candles. A run on the taper line takes approximately three and a half hours, not counting time to load and unload the candles.
Tucked under the taper line is a candle rack built around a bicycle wheel, which is also credited to Going’s ingenuity.
While not knowing too much about Going, Phoebe Bojanzyk recalled a story she heard about him.
‘His wife went to get a vacuum out during a party and the chord was cut off. He probably used it to build something,? she laughed.
In the basement, which is often used for its cooler temperatures, is the ball machine, used to create ball candles that can burn from 30 ? 35 hours.
While Bojanzyk admits the candle factory may produce candles at a slower pace than larger companies, all the candles there are of a high quality due to the nature of production. Bojanzyk said the ball machine squeezes air completely out of the candle, allowing it to burn much slower than what might be found on competitors? shelves.
The candle factory has a wide variety of candles, ranging from votives to tapers for all occasions and coming in any one of 150 scents.
The Davisburg Candle Factory is located at 634 Davisburg Road in downtown Davisburg. For hours or more information, call 248-634-4214.