Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Moore
Hi Amy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Inglenook & Co. is located on our family’s farm in Upstate South Carolina. I began Inglenook in 2010 as a soap making business in an effort to help support our family. At the time, our four children lived at home — David, Abby, Sarah, and Nathan. Our youngest, Nathan, had severe cerebral palsy. Having a small business, I thought, would allow me the flexibility needed to care for my family, particularly Nathan.
The first event we attended was the Pickens Azalea Festival in the spring of 2011. With the encouragement of a close friend, Kathy, who introduced me to soap making, I applied to be a vendor with the HUB City Farmers’ Market for the 2011 Market season. Inglenook was very well received during the HUB City Farmers’ Market that we eventually participated in multiple area farmers’ markets including Travelers Rest, Inman, Landrum, Woodruff, and Greer.
In 2014, responding to the requests of many customers, we began pouring soy candles. Inglenook is now better known for our hand poured, fragrant soy candles and wax melts. We use the single=pour method for making our candles and scent our candles using 10% fragrance load. We do, however, continue to make handmade soaps and body products.
Our family operates Inglenook & Co. out of our workshop affectionately known as the Soap Barn. We now travel to multiple day events out of state taking us to places such as Nashville, TN; Pittsburgh, PA: Raleigh, NC’ Asheville, NC; Ft. Myers, FL, Dallas, TX; and Bridgeton, IN to name a few. Locally, once a month we host a Drop In by opening the doors of the Soap Barn and welcome the public to shop the Soap Barn. Additionally, we are pleased to be a sponsor of the Landrum Farmers’ Market in Landrum, SC. Inglenook attends the Landrum Farmers’ Market at least once a month during the market season.
If you are unable to visit with us in person, we invite you to visit our website where you may find our entire inventory of candles, wax melts, soaps, and body products. www.Inglenookandco.com We also consider it an honor and privilege to partner with fellow businesses in the capacity of a wholesale partner. If you own a business or are aware of a business that would be an appropriate fit for Inglenook’s products, please visit our wholesale website at www.inglenookandcowholesale.com . We would love to work with you.
Since beginning Inglenook, our children have grown and have their own professions. David is a master electrician, Abby has a Doctorate in Bioinformatics, and Sarah holds two degrees, one in Horticulture and the second in Interdisciplinary Studies. Sarah works with me and my husband, Rich (aka Mr. Inglenook) at Inglenook. I hope Sarah will take over Inglenook when it is time for me to retire. Our Nathan graduated to heaven in March 2018. Inglenook & Co. would not be in existence if it were not for our four children and the generosity and support of Inglenook’s fan-ily. We are grateful for the sustenance of our fan-ily over the past 15 years and look forward to the opportunity of visiting with you soon whether in person or online.
To keep up to date with Inglenook’s activities, please visit with us:
Facebook: Inglenook & Co., LLC
Instagram: InglenookandCo
Website: www.Inglenookandco.com
Wholesale: www.Inglenookandcowholesale.com
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We encountered two periods of struggle — sourcing materials in 2020 and operating without power and internet following Hurricane Helene.
Inglenook’s fan-ily was very gracious and understanding during 2020 when we had difficulties sourcing our candle jars and lids. Temporarily we switched to a different jar and lid in order to fill orders. Additionally, some fragrance oils were slow to arrive due to ingredient shortages encountered by the manufacturers. Again, our customers were very patient and understanding, but we were eventually able to fill all orders.
Following Hurricane Helene, we were without electricity for seven days and without internet for a few days longer. Sarah and I would load our printers, laptop, and wifi box into our family’s mini van and drive to the Walmart in Boiling Springs, SC. There we were able to connect to the internet. Once connected, we would print all orders and answer emails, messages, etc. before returning home. Once home, we would assemble, box, and weigh all orders. Then, we would load the boxes into our family’s mini van and return to the Walmart parking lot where we would print shipping labels. All orders were then shipped.
Mr. Inglenook was able to hook up a smaller generator to our 750 lb wax melter which allowed us to continue to pour candles.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Inglenook is a family business. We have three ’employees’ so to speak. Our younger daughter, Sarah, has been working with me for four years. Unofficially, Sarah, is Inglenook’s Director of Operations. She manages all candle and wax melt production as well as production of all non-soap body product production. Sarah manages all shipping and receiving and prepares my inventory for traveling to events. Because Sarah works primarily from the Soap Barn, she has a thorough understanding and knowledge of the status of happenings at the Soap Barn and I rely on her for guidance at the Soap Barn.
My husband, Rich, drives for Love’s for a living. When he is not driving and not attending to needs around the farm, Rich may be found washing all of our candle jars, wicking all of our candle jars, cleaning candles, labeling candles and wax melts, assisting in making soaps, and cutting soaps.
While I own Inglenook, when home, I am Sarah’s assistant. I assist Sarah at the Soap Barn with whatever is needed. Additionally, I manage Inglenook’s social media activities, correspond to all emails, texts, phone calls, and messages. I coordinate with wholesale partners. I am responsible for ordering materials and supplies. And, if you visit with Inglenook in person, you most likely will see me whether at local event our out of town.
At Inglenook we pride ourselves in customer satisfaction. We make every effort to present a quality product that visitors would be pleased to bring into their home as well as producing a product that guests would be proud to gift to a loved one.
The market is filled with fellow candle makers (I say fellow candle makers/soap makers and do not use the word competitors. We are all in business to make a living.) and guests have many opportunities to lend their support to fellow candle and soap makers. In an effort to set Inglenook apart in a growing field, we make every effort to produce a quality product, provide superior customer services, and to be genuine in our communications with others. Using the single-pour method for creating candles makes for a candle that provides consistent hot throw throughout the use of our candles and also may set us apart from larger candle companies.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Honest/Honesty
Genuine
Authentic
Traditional
Hard working
Focusing on a larger picture.
Courteous
Handmade
Pricing:
- Look for monthly Build-Your-Own Bundle opportunities. Each month we choose 12 unique candle scents that our guests may choose from to build their own candle bundles. four 9 oz candle bundle is $60/ four 16 oz candle budle is $90 Four wax melt bundle is $20
- Flat rate shipping $7.50 Shipping for purchases of $100 or more is Free
- Sign up for our email and/or text messaging lists through our website to stay in the know about upcoming offers and to know our schedule of events.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inglenookandco.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inglenookandco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InglenookSoap
- Other: https://inglenookandcowholesale.com/
