Meet the Maker: Tim Sommer
Merging tradition with modern fragrance — that’s the essence of Cape Candle.
Cape Candle was originally founded in 2005 in New Jersey as a small gift shop. Over time, it expanded into the wholesale industry and is now a manufacturer built around quality home fragrance, handcrafted products, made-in-the-U.S. values and deep historical roots.
Today, Cape Candle now produces its collections in Punta Gorda, Florida, where the company’s mission is to blend both craftsmanship and innovation.
“Our mission is to create the best home fragrance and candle products we can — through innovation and also traditional means,” said Tim Sommer, owner and CEO of Cape Candle. “We want to innovate in the home fragrance world, but also maintain those old-world techniques where it makes sense.”
THE BAYBERRY TRADITION
Cape Candle creates a variety of home fragrance products, from its signature flameless Scented Vessels to beeswax pillars, tapers and tea light candles. When it comes to the holidays, however, there is nothing quite like the company’s Bayberry collection — a product steeped in American history.
The Bayberry candle traces back to colonial times, when there was a lack of candle wax and early settlers discovered that they could make wax from the Bayberry shrub. As it was a tedious process, the Bayberry candles were reserved for special occasions and designed to light the way through perilous times.
As centuries progressed, the Bayberry candle is now primarily used by families throughout the holiday season — especially on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve — as a sign of prosperity and good luck.
“There’s a folklore that goes along with it,” Sommer said. “The saying is, ‘A Bayberry candle burned to the socket brings health to the home and wealth to the pocket.’”
The company’s Bayberry collection — which is made of authentic Bayberry wax and includes 8- and 10-inch tapers, pillar candles and scented votives — is hand-dipped by the Cape Candle team using the techniques of early settlers.
“I wanted to figure out how to hand dip my own [Bayberry] candles,” Sommer said. “After about a year of trial and error, I’ve been able to master it. They’re hand-dipped in a giant melting vat of wax. We use a dipping rack and I can then make a whole bunch at one time. It’s an interesting process.”
A MEANINGFUL SELL
With its blend of authenticity, nod to history and festive storytelling, the Bayberry collection is a natural fit for independent retailers — particularly during the holiday season.
“It’s a tradition that’s as old as America,” Sommer said. “This isn’t just another ornament or made-up tradition. It’s one that has history and roots.”
Sommer emphasized the product’s educational and emotional value for shoppers. In an era where shoppers seek meaning behind their purchases, Cape Candle’s Bayberry collection provides retailers a unique storytelling opportunity — offering customers a product that’s rich in heritage, handcrafted and made close to home.
“For retailers, it’s a great little offer to share with their customers,” he said. “… Each order comes with a table card with the Bayberry story so they can easily educate their customers.”
Retailers also benefit from Cape Candle’s domestic supply chain, a crucial selling point when considering the state of the industry in 2025..
“We saw in 2020 how quickly the global supply chain could change,” Sommer said. “So we made the decision to manufacture our own products and control as much of the supply chain as we could.”
