New Business Coming Soon To Help Illuminate Scottsville

By Chris Cole,
Staff Writer

It’s seemingly becoming more and more rare with each passing year that someone in their mid 20s has an idea of what they want to do with their life. Many, if not most, are college graduates who might not be having the easiest time putting their degree to use in the field they spent the last handful of years studying. Others may go from job to job until they find something they’re passionate about. Still others may have an idea but don’t quite have the means or the drive to do something with it.

Most are not 26-year-old Michael Clark.

“I think candles are something that everybody uses,” said the young man who is looking to launch Scottsville Candle Company during First Friday in June this year. “We use our smell a lot and it can take you places.”

While the focus will initially be on setting up at craft fairs and community events like First Friday, Clark wants to eventually get into a storefront where he can get walk-in business. He’s already been looking at locations on the square.

Clark himself is an ambitious guy. While looking to get his business started, he’s attending WKU as an accounting major and he’s working to get enough product – soy wax candles – to be able to start selling.

“Soy candles are vegan, they don’t have all the additives that I know of, as of paraffin wax and it’s a cleaner burn,” said Clark on his decision to use soy wax instead of the more common paraffin wax which is derived from petroleum. Soy candles also tend to burn a bit cooler than their paraffin counterparts and Clark said he’s hoping to get “40 hours of burn time” from them.

The candles, he said, will be offered in four-ounce, eightunce and 16-ounce jar sizes that will range in price from $10 to $20. Due to the nature of soy wax it must be contained within a jar. Along with the candles, melts will also be offered that can be used in any container appropriate for melting candle wax.

While Clark’s efforts are currently being directed toward ensuring that his business is successful, he’s equally passionate about history and preservation. These are being combined into scents such as “Train Depot” in which Clark says “Ten percent of the profits will go to funding the  restoration (of the L&N depot). When asked what “Train Depot” will smell like, Clark said, “Leather, metal, cedar wood – that kind of scent.”

He’s also developing what he calls a “Signature Collection” which “leans heavily into a southern Gothic aesthetic. Dark, romantic, mysterious and rooted in that classic southern storytelling tradition. It’s designed to capture the tension between beauty and decay, light and shadow all wrapped in the kind of luxury you rarely see come out of a small town.”

Clark further elaborated that “Every collection, every scent, every label is deeply intentional. Our Historic Collection is inspired by real places and moments from Scottsville’s past, created to honor the beauty, nostalgia, and forgotten stories that built this town.”

With all of that in mind, Clark is hoping that not only will Scottsville Candle Company become a local success but also end up reaching national brand recognition.

“Scottsville Candle Company is something I’ve poured my heart and soul into, and I truly want people to understand what it represents. At the core, Scottsville Candle Company is about storytelling. Giving people more than just a candle but an experience that feels rich, personal, and connected to where we come from. I’ve worked hard to make sure everything, from the scents to the packaging, reflects that. It’s not just wax in a jar. It’s history, art and a little piece of Southern heritage poured by hand.”

Currently, Clark has a website and a Facebook page for Scottsville Candle Company (www.scottsvillecandlecompany.com) in which he posts updates on his efforts.