Meet the Makers

Potomac Candle was established in 2016 as a veteran-owned and made eco-friendly candle company. The company started from a candle-making kit given as a Christmas gift but has grown its operations to a full candle-making studio. Our mission is to bring luxury candles at an affordable price to consumers.

Meet Tony:
I am Tony, a Marine Corp veteran who has proudly served over 20 years and the founder of Potomac Candle. After settling in Virginia in 2014 and joining federal service with the Marine Corps, it was in 2016 that changed my life where a simple Christmas gift side hobby into a growing business. Within two years, we shipped candles to 15 retail boutiques in five states, including andThat! Stores, owned by Bed Bath & Beyond, and participated in many artisan markets throughout Virginia, Maryland, and DC. I found that I genuinely enjoy going to various artisan markets, meeting new people and customers, sharing these wonderful candles with you all. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, and I take pride in the hard work of the Potomac Candle brand.

In 2020, I met Trey, an active duty Marine, when he got stationed in the DC area. While working together, our professional relationship grew to a friendship and brotherhood. Trey’s interest in the candle-making process, and interaction with people at artisan markets and candle events, I felt confident in Trey’s abilities. Because of our close bond, Trey joined Potomac Candle as a business partner in 2021.

Meet Trey:
I am Trey, an active duty Marine of 6 years and currently assigned to the DC area. After landing in the DC area back in October of 2019, I established myself and met Tony not too long after. With Tony’s hospitality and kind heart, he invited me over for a Thanksgiving dinner with his friends, and we had discussed Potomac Candle. My interest was piqued from that moment on, and I wanted to see how he operated things, lending a hand where I could. That interaction sparked a fantastic friendship, brotherhood, and business partnership. Making a luxurious product that is usable and affordable initially had me hooked on Potomac Candle, but going to different markets throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia has made my love for doing this grow exponentially. Being able to interact with hundreds and thousands of people at different markets is an indescribable.

In just one short year of our partnership, we expanded our operation from one retail client to six retail clients and countless artisan markets. The more critical part of that is the number of astonishing people we have met and interacted with, whether it is new or returning customers, owners of retail shops, or other vendors we have the privilege to work alongside. Our time in the Marine Corps instilled the values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment. With these values always in mind, our partnership immediately brought on new clients and expanded Potomac Candle’s outreach to North Carolina and Tennessee. The same attention to detail we put into ensuring our Marine Corps uniforms look great every time we put them on is the same attention to detail we put into every candle and fragrance product we make. Even though the business continues to grow and develop, Potomac Candle holds to its vision set out from day one, sharing luxury, veteran-owned, and made candles to small boutiques and retail shops around the country.

Join us on this journey as we bring Potomac Candle to you and your loved ones.