About

In Downtown Lawrence, the entire family and a valuable support staff are working to carry on the Waxman tradition and promote the premise that premium materials, exceptional customer focus and a love and respect for the craft creates unparalleled quality products.

In 2016 a ceramics studio was added so candle accessories could be designed and produced on site. With the knowledge and support of two KU ceramics graduates Waxman Candles has created an extensive line of press molded and hand thrown pieces that are plaster molded to produce slip cast pieces. The ceramics line has grown from candle accessories to include dinner and bakeware.

Bob touts embracing change as a major key to the longevity of Waxman. From 1993 to 2005 Loni Hosking worked as showroom manager and tradeshow buyer. This creative powerhouse envisioned and launched the company’s first website in 1996 and helped bring Waxman full force into the funkiness of the 90s. In the early 2000’s all of Bob’s meticulously handwritten recipes were combed through and digitized by then candle maker, Jade Brown. This step brought the company a little further into the digital age and increased production efficiency. During that same time when the winds had changed again and the need for a re-brand was clear, Bob reached out to Anthony Knight. A master candle carver and designer who worked for the company from 1986 to 1992, helped choose the 609 Mass location and became a trusted design consultant. By 2007 Waxman’s windows were adorned with eye catching decals, an overhaul was underway on label & package design and its showroom was taking on a streamlined less is more approach. Curtis McCoy, a retail sales associate employed with the company for 7 years at the time, saw the potential in the suggested changes. Using the knowledge gained from the re-brand experience he has spent the past 10 years, as Waxman’s devoted showroom manager, thoughtfully curating the retail showroom and suggesting edits to our numerous varieties of product when he feels a change in the wind.

In 1996 Bob was approached by Steven Traxler, a former KU student body president, with a proposal for a candle store in Chicago. Steve’s enthusiasm and promotional skills combined with Bob’s knowledge of candle making resulted in a partnership and Waxman Candles Chicago LLC was born. Carson Maddox was an integral part of the opening of this location and relocated to manage it from 1996 to 1998. From 2008 to 2012 Waxman Lawrence’s candle maker and manager, Jade Brown, made monthly trips to the Chicago location implementing re-branding changes that had been made at the Lawrence location. From August 2013 to the end of April 2023 Bob’s youngest son, Mitch, worked as a candlemaker and manager. After 27 years at 3044 N Lincoln Ave the decision was made to close the Chicago location. Mitch is back in Lawrence where he joins the family in carrying on the Waxman tradition at 609 Massachusetts St.

The decision to eliminate the wholesale division allowed Bob to focus on the retail location and his family. In 1993, with the help of two integral employees, Waxman moved to its current home at 609 Massachusetts Street where it was once again able to expand. Tom Bloyd worked from 1989 to 1994, an expert candlemaker who also built equipment, displays and hand-blew the glass light shades that can still be found above the front counter. Carson Maddox worked from 1991 to 1996, an expert candlemaker who also built displays and helped to install candle making equipment still in operation today. All three of Bob’s children worked at this location part time during high school and throughout college doing jobs like sweeping floors and breaking down cardboard to running the cash register and candle making. His wife, Deb, joined Waxman Lawrence as their office manager in 2014 after retiring from her 39-year career at Kief’s Audio Video.

From 1975 through 1979 Bob created and operated a wholesale division out of his 1405/1407 Massachusetts Street location. He traveled to all of the major U.S. markets taking orders from gift, souvenir and florist shops then returned to Lawrence to make and deliver the orders with the help of the equivalent of 10 full time employees. In 1980 the oil embargo forced paraffin costs to increase to the point the wholesale division was no longer profitable and was eliminated.

After his move to Lawrence in 1970 and locating at 7 W 14th Street, Bob received an order from a cosmetics company for 120,000 1½” ball candles. The project took six months and the creation of 750 rubber molds made using paper cups, ping pong balls and golf tees. Bob made no monetary profit but he did gain the knowledge that he could make A LOT of candles. Another order for 20,000 filled canisters from the same cosmetics company took only 20 days and resulted in sufficient profit to eventually relocate to 1405 Massachusetts Street and expand the business.

In the Winter of 1968 Bob was back home in Johnson City, NY visiting his parents. While reading a magazine in the waiting room at a doctor’s office Bob spotted an ad for a candle making hobby kit. Thinking that sounded fun he ripped out the ad and dropped it and $5 in the mail. A few months later, having pretty well forgotten about it by this time, the hobby kit arrived at the doorstep of his Dodge City, KS apartment. Funk Chunk, the original Waxman candle was created in this college apartment using his up-cycled learning mistakes to create the forerunner for Waxman branded candles. However, it wasn’t until 1970 that Bob started selling his candles under the Waxman™ name.