Hand-Poured Candle Business Was Business Owners' Saving Grace

Hill and River Collection was created by husband and wife duo Reggie and Kena Odrick. Their candles are hand-poured in small batches with no machines or special gadgets used in the process. H+R inserts wooden wicks in their products, so every time a customer lights their candles, they feel fireside.

Hill and River Collection started when the Odrick's received a candle for their one-year anniversary. They quickly realized that they got the candle for the label, because it definitely did not have the lingering, room filling smell they imagined. Right then sparked the idea. They soon started to research candle making. Unfortunately, three months prior, they lost their son Reid and were battling grief and trying to figure out how to heal. Starting Hill and River Collection was their saving grace. Creating candles has helped them heal together, grow together, and allowed them to do something that honors their son.

COVID-19 affected their start-up because they weren't able to get in front of customers at markets and pop-up events. The canceling of these events meant that they had to work strictly from their e-commerce site, which can be challenging at times. Many find it hard to buy sensory items online if they cannot experience the candles in person. As of now, they are e-commerce, but they aspire to have a store or workshop in the City of Richmond. In the future, H+R projects to grow enough to have up to 2-3 staff members.

Along with making their signature scents, they offer their clients a custom candle bulk order service. This service is perfect for brands, businesses, and special events. They allow customers who purchase this service the options to choose personalized candle scent(s), label color, and candle name.

The community can best support this small business by visiting them at local markets and pop-ups. They love getting to meet and talk to their customers. It also gives them a chance to get feedback on their candles and scents and get ideas for future scents. For more information about Hill and River Collection, please visit their website at www.hillandrivercollection.com.