The Neith Family Continues to Brighten Main Street with Unwined Candle Company

A candle gets brighter as it burns due to the wax melting around the wick and evaporating. The same brightness illuminates the story of Unwined Candle Company.

Dave Neith, with the support of his wife Anna, lit a wick with the start of a business of creating candles out of bottles that had been "unwined", cut, and repurposed as candle containers back in 2010. The flickering light and success led to a small store on Main Street in 2012 and then a move to their current location at 7542 Main Street in 2018. Unwined has been a shining light for the Town of Sykesville ever since.

Dave Neith reflects on more than a decade on Main Street in his own words:

“Main Street has always played a vital role in my approach to business. I always envisioned a “Grass Roots” growth style for the company. I am not interested in extremely large-scale manufacturing. I believe in relationships, consistency, hard work, and a slower - but more focused approach to growth. Similar to Main Street. I have been down here on Main since 2012. I have seen Main grow from the same mindset. Relationships, hard work, and consistency have been key. Take the Farmer’s Market, for example; what started as a small, few-vendor setup has grown into an experience throughout town, drawing customers from various counties throughout Maryland and PA even! The relationships with the customers, the consistency of showing up/ volunteering/ and working hard to consistently grow the Market have been amazing. Slow and steady wins the race, as they say.”

Reflecting on the joys of the experience, Dave said, “The most fun part for me, personally, is the relationships that we have established and maintained throughout the years on Main. Our customers are the lifeblood of our operation. Some have been coming in since the beginning of it all, and we also get to meet new people daily. We love engaging with our customers, working with them to bring their own personal experiences to life with a custom label for a loved one or a funky bottle that just has to be turned into a candle. It’s an awesome feeling when you know the names of your regulars, and they know you right back. We have countless loyal customers who also drop off their empty wine bottles in our recycling area out back of the shop. I love the business because it feels like we’re all working together - because we are! So yes, the relationships. The community. It’s our favorite thing and always will be.”

Dave sees the candle continuing to burn bright on Main, “There has been so much positive progress and growth on Main; I just look forward to more of the same. When you have an operation that is run by such hardworking and dedicated people, there is a lot to look forward to. From the DSC to the individual business owners, there is always something unique brewing here on Main. I also hope to see continued backing from our community. We’ve gone through some adversity these last few years, but we always have our loyal customers who show up for us. We appreciate the love and continued support.”

In a time where many businesses only have an online presence, Dave believes that the success of Unwined is due to their foundation on Main Street and being part of the local community. “There’s nothing more important to us. From the hundreds of customers who weekly drop off their empty bottles in our recycling area behind the shop to the customers/ friends we get to interact with on a daily basis - our customers are literally the lifeblood of our business. The community plays a vital role- they literally fuel us and keep us going. No more are the days of dumpster diving to get wine bottles - Sykesville has us covered! There’s nothing better than a strong community feel. From customers to business owners to property owners and beyond… All working together and supporting each other - it’s amazing.”

There is something special about having a business in your local community where your kids can see the hard work and effort that goes into such a production. “Having my three sons - Mason, Jaxon, and Travis was one of the reasons I started Unwined. I wanted to provide some extra funds for the family as I was a new father and scrambling in my brain, thinking about all of the responsibility, and of course, expenses, of having to provide for three extra humans. I started when they couldn’t even walk, and now they’re thriving at 14/ 14/ 13. Having them along this journey has been awesome. I feel like they have a solid foundation of tools, both physically and mentally, to move forward in life. Hard work, respect, adversity, love for your neighbor - kindness. To treat everyone how you’d like to be treated..I apply these values to my everyday life and business, so I know they have been exposed to this all their lives. I see it; it’s working. My kids are kind and great people. They make me proud daily.”

Part of the allure for Unwined’s loyal customers is the sweet smells and beautiful containers of their candles and the unique inventory of handmade pieces of jewelry, body products, dreamcatchers, signs, sauces, and spices. This is due to a large number of local partnerships. “There are so many amazing creators/ artists/ people around that I wanted to tap into. A huge part of Unwined’s growth, initially, was to attend and set up at every and all craft fair/ wine festival/ show I could. Exposure/ customer interaction was key in my mind. I love seeing other people’s work, so I would always make it a point to walk around and introduce myself - maybe trade a few items and just get to know some amazing local artisans. Those relationships and the thought that something is crafted by hand makes it so much better and more unique, was why I decided to bring in some different people’s work in the shop. We now have over 25 local artisans who supply all sorts of amazing items for our customers. All of which are awesome!”

Dave enjoys the local businesses on Main. “I try to support everyone down here. I have something positive to say about every business on Main. Being that they’re my awesome neighbors, I do love going into/ eating my lunch at The Local Motive. My kids love Becks, it’s their favorite place to eat. I have dozens of plants (an obsession of mine) from Botanigal. I love The French Twist - especially the Canadian Crepe. Revive and Co is the spot for gifts for my Wife/ Ma. I love the energy and vibe in Gypsy Sisters. I need to try a massage at Pin it Up. Annie’s store, Cowboys and Angels is amazing (and smells awesome - like leather). Charlie Joes/ Big Dipper Graphics makes us some awesome hats and t-shirts. The Limoncello (and other creations) at Patapsco Distillery are awesome. Tidal Salt is great and is super supportive of local initiatives and Jen is amazing with all of the help she provides, she’s super talented. I love buying my nephews little things at A Likely Story and Georgie Lu’s. Keith, down at the Bistro can chef it up like no other.. It’s just awesome down here. So many great people and places. We also make candles for Patapsco Distillery, Charlie Joes, Botanigal and Headmasters.”

We are now moving into longer nights and it is time to refresh your candle supply, Dave has some insight into candles you will find stocked in the store now. “In the candle world, we have moved on from Summer fragrances at this point. When the kids go back to school and the weather cools off, we’re officially in “Candle Season”. Everyone loves to get cozy at home, light a candle and just chill out. My personal favorite - and this is year-round, is the Eastern Amber fragrance. This was the first candle I made when we started, and remains my #1 favorite. As for Fall fragrances, Pumpkin Roll is amazing. I am usually not a food-type candle guy, but this one is irresistible. Pumpkin Pie is also super popular, along with Hot Cocoa - anything that reminds you of fall… and we have a bunch! I am excited to release “Evergreen” here soon, our best Pine fragrance. I love that one, too.”

Shop local is more than just a saying. It provides the opportunity to enjoy the historic town of Sykesville while supporting the local community and an experience that friends and family can share. Dave has something to say to the faithful customers and visitors of Unwined, “Just, thank you. Thank you for your support for over a decade. Thank you for your empty bottles that you lug down here on a weekly basis because you know we need them. Thank you for getting us through trying times like COVID or the two-year Main Street paving debacle. Just thank you. We’ll always be here for you, just like you’ve always been here for us. I will stay on course and continue to create new items/ fragrances and keep everything fresh for you guys. Stay tuned - more unique creations and ideas are always churning and will keep coming. We appreciate and love you all.”

Unwined Candle Company, along with many of the merchants are keeping the candles burning bright with later opening hours. Come say hi, and follow them on social media to get updates on new merchandise and events!