Phantom Fireworks Starts Season with a Bang by Acquiring 6 Showrooms

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Phantom Fireworks has acquired six operating brick-and-mortar showrooms from retailer Sky King Fireworks, just as the summer season prepares to blast off.

“This was the biggest single transaction in our history,” said William Weimer, vice president and corporate counsel for Phantom. Five of the stores are in Pennsylvania, while the sixth location is in Daytona Beach, Fla., he said.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Weimer describes it as a “significant investment on our part.” The deal closed June 14, he said.

Sky King continues to operate 14 retail units – four that are franchised and 10 that are company-owned. These can be found in Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Pennsylvania, according to the company’s website.

The acquisitions come as Phantom is putting the finishing touches on three new showrooms set to open in the coming days – one in suburban Cincinnati, another in the Dayton suburbs and a third in New Kensington, Pa. Recently, the company opened new retail operations in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and converted a part-time location into a full-time store in Lansing, Mich.

Once the three new stores open, Phantom will boast 91 brick-and-mortar retail units in 15 states. The retail fireworks company sells to all U.S. states except Massachusetts, which prohibits the sale, possession or use of fireworks without a permit and certification.

The newly acquired locations will continue to operate under the Sky King name through this season, Weimer said. The locations, however, will be rebranded under the Phantom name at a later date in time for next year.

Before the recent expansions, Phantom Fireworks employed between 450 and 475 people year-round; during peak season that number swells to approximately 2,000, Weimer said. 

“We thought it was a good opportunity for us, and Sky King thought it was a good opportunity,” Weimer said. “We are excited about it. This is a serious move for us.”

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.