Thursday, June 30, 2016
YOUNGSTOWN
Backyard fireworks enthusiasts know the boom is followed by the crackle and sparks of spectacular colors.
The Fourth of July weekend is upon us, and customers at Youngstown-based Phantom Fireworks are ready.
“It doesn’t matter what ethnic background – everyone loves fireworks,” said Bruce Zoldan, president and chief executive officer of Phantom.
Zoldan’s father got the owner of the nation’s largest firework retailer interested in pyrotechnics.
“I started out of my car selling fireworks,” Zoldan said.
Now, Phantom has 80 showrooms and more than 1,000 seasonal stands in the U.S.
“It was a sideline business,” Zoldan said. “I never expected it to be a lifetime career.”
On Thursday, Zoldan watched as customers at his North Lima flagship location came out with carts overflowing with Phantom Fireworks.
“It’s a better deal to come out here,” said C.J. Yothers, 23, of Industry, Pa. “You get more for the same amount of money.”
Consumer-class fireworks, including bottle rockets and Roman candles, can be purchased in Ohio by anyone 18 or older, but they cannot be used in the state. Instead, they must be taken over the state’s borders within 48 hours of purchase.
An amendment added to last year’s biennial budget bill now permits consumers to buy fireworks without signing a purchaser’s form identifying themselves and acknowledging state law prohibitions against using fireworks. Hence, whether the state law is actually followed is easily answered by looking skyward any night in early July.
Read more about the business and the upcoming celebration in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.