DIY candle store to be rebranded under new ownership

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Last edited 12:18 p.m., Sept. 3, 2024 [Editor's note: Loomi is Katie Sulzner's first brick-and-mortar business. The article has been updated to reflect that.]

A do-it-yourself candle shop in downtown Springfield is rebranding under new ownership.

Katie Sulzner said she purchased Heirloom Candle Bar, 400 W. Walnut St., for undisclosed terms on Jan. 1 from founders Garrett and Rose Cochran. The store is rebranding to Loomi with a Sept. 7 launch event that will include raffles and discounts, said Sulzner.

"I wanted the name to pay tribute to Heirloom and all that it's been, but also welcome it to the new wave and all it's becoming," said Sulzner, who marked her first foray into brick-and-mortar business ownership with the company.

Sulzner said Loomi – which has continued to operate since her purchase this year under the Heirloom name – allows customers to make their own candles with custom labels and lids. Loomi also has premade candles, cards and other gifts for sale, as well as custom jars for matches.

"I've been working behind the scenes the past few months, building the systems, flipping the store, adding onto the experience," she said.

Sulzner, who has a background in marketing, said her decision to buy Heirloom came from wanting to work for herself.

"I was praying about what it would look like, and I ended up getting a phone call about purchasing Heirloom," she said. "It ended up combining a lot of the things I'm passionate about."

Sulzner said she took over the lease for the 2,000-square-foot space in the building owned by Dr. Howard Follis.

The Cochrans relocated Heirloom to the Walnut Street space in March 2023 after starting the concept in the Rountree neighborhood in late 2022, according to past reporting. Rose Cochran previously said she and Garrett signed a three-year lease for $2,000 per month.