Sales skyrocketing in fizzling economy

By GRACE WYLER

gwyler@vindy.com

north lima

As Americans get ready to celebrate our independence this weekend, Mahoning Valley-based Phantom Fireworks figures on playing a big part in the celebration, again.

Phantom Fireworks does about 90 percent of its annual business around Independence Day, company president Bruce Zoldan said.

Despite the uncertain economic climate, Zoldan said he expects sales to increase this year. Fireworks sales totaled $945 million nationwide last year.

“The store has had a surge in sales,” Zoldan said. “Fireworks are a nonessential item, but they are an integral part of our Fourth of July celebration.”

The use of consumer fireworks has been steadily rising as governments ease up on restrictions, Zoldan said. In June, Rhode Island became the 46th state to end its ban on consumer fireworks.

The growing acceptance of consumer fireworks is, in large part, the result of the industry’s safety record, Zoldan said.

As the use of fireworks has increased, the number of fireworks-related injuries has decreased, according to data published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This trend is unique among consumer products, Zoldan said.

“We have made fireworks much, much safer than ever before,” Zoldan said. “[Phantom Fireworks is] 15 percent of the American market, and we have only about one or two liability claims per year.”

The industry sets its own safety regulations through the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory, an independent agency that follows stricter guidelines than federal regulators. The agency tests the fireworks before the products are reviewed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Zoldan said.

“We, as an industry, felt the only way to survive was to be on offense,” he said. “We have set higher safety standards – it has helped us to survive and grow.”

Federal regulators see the fireworks industry as a model for consumer product safety, said Chip Branyon, an insurance broker who specializes in the consumer-fireworks industry.

“For any industry, they do have a superior claims record,” Branyon said. “The public perception of fireworks is that they are bad, that you can hurt people, and it’s just not like that.”

The safeguards engineered into consumer fireworks helped prevent the attempted terrorist attack in New York’s Times Square earlier this year. The suspect in the failed car bombing used Phantom’s M88 fireworks that, even if used en masse, would not be strong enough to cause a large explosion, Zoldan said.

In May, the director of the FBI honored Zoldan with an award certificate for his assistance in apprehending the suspected Times Square bomber, Faisal Shahzad. Zoldan and other Phantom Fireworks executives helped identify the fireworks used in the bombing attempt, and turned over a security tape of Shahzad buying the fireworks at a Phantom Fireworks store in Pennsylvania.

The evidence could be critical in convicting Shahzad, Zoldan said.

Events like the Times Square bombing and the Sept. 11 attacks have inspired an outburst of patriotism that can correspond to a boom in sales, said Christopher Bacha, manager at Phantom Fireworks flagship store.

“Since Sept. 11, I would say our customers have shown more patriotism,” Bacha said. “And more and more people are seeing that it is safe to light fireworks.”

Regardless of the relative safety of products such as those sold at Phantom Fireworks, however, serious injuries can arise if fireworks are not used properly or if the user discharges homemade or black-market products, said Lt. Jim McCreary of the Boardman Fire Department.

“Problems can range from minor injuries from not handling the fireworks properly to death,” McCreary said.

McCreary reminds local residents that it is illegal to use consumer fireworks in Ohio, and fireworks bought here must be taken out of state within 48 hours.

“There is no problem with the regulated fireworks,” McCreary said.

“But the bottom line is, they are illegal to be discharged in the state of Ohio.”