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Fascination with fireworks sparks an explosive business for Oxford family
by Jennifer Chick
Hot Rocket Fireworks Owner Craig Hamre describes himself as a fireworks fanatic. As a kid, he was the one saving money all year long to buy fireworks, and he sheepishly admits the police might have made a few house calls to kindly remind him of the legal times to shoot off those fireworks.
Those early memories, and his fascination with all things bright, loud and crackling, led him to start researching fireworks stands more than a decade ago when a friend opened his own stand. Craig spent one year working in his friend’s fireworks stand before saving up to open his own in his hometown of Mobridge, S.D. Hot Rocket Fireworks was born, and its first location was the exact spot where young Hamre had ridden his bike to buy his own fireworks.
Hot Rocket comes to Nebraska
Five years ago, the Hamres moved to Oxford when Craig’s full-time job as manager at The Connection call center relocated him to Holdrege. He brought Hot Rocket to central Nebraska, but soon found that the main obstacle was Nebraska’s fireworks regulations. After sifting through the pile of paperwork, Hot Rocket Fireworks secured the proper permits and was established in Nebraska.
“It was somewhat of a challenge and a learning curve to figure out what we were going to sell in Nebraska,” Hamre said.
Nebraska bans certain types of fireworks, whereas South Dakota allows any that are legal in the United States to be sold there. However, next year Nebraska will broaden its regulations so Hamre looks forward to offering a wider selection. The state legislature also added a short New Year’s fireworks season so Hot Rocket will be able to provide fireworks for New Year’s Eve parties as well.
Personally tested fireworks
Hamre scours the country each spring, looking for the best fireworks. He travels to fireworks shows across the nation, logging 6,000 to 8,000 miles each year. He works with eight different importers. Unlike other fireworks stands which sell whatever their distributors send them, Hamre will not put an item on his shelves unless he has personally seen and been impressed by the results.
“We sell only the best of each brand,” he said. “I won’t sell something unless I know it’s really good.”
This year, he has added several new items, including Pig Out, a cake with squealing effects followed by whirls, and One Wild Ride, described as a cake of screamin’, whistlin’ snakes ending with blue burst and gleaming gold glitter. For kids, there is a novelty item of a chicken blowing up a balloon.
When Hamre first started selling fireworks, there were less than 100 different items offered at the stands, but now Hot Rocket’s inventory has surpassed 250 items.
They demonstrate items on their YouTube site (youtube.com/888pyrobug) so customers know what to expect. Hamre said Hot Rocket has the most active fireworks channel on YouTube with almost 1 million views, 1900 videos uploaded, and 1200 subscribers.
“That’s something customers love, to be able to see something before they buy,” Hamre said.
Restoring ‘lost art’ of customer service
Hot Rocket also has a Facebook page and a website, pyrobug.com, where they can interact with the customers.
And for Hamre and his family, the business is all about the customer.
“Customer service is something that is a lost art in these days, and we try to really practice it at our fireworks stands,” he said.
Craig and his wife, Lisa, have eight children. Kori, 19, and Jarid, 18, are very active in the business’s fireworks stands. This year, they will be managing the Holdrege stand.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” Jarid said.
Hot Rocket will have fireworks stands in four central Nebraska communities this year ─ Holdrege, Kearney, Hastings and Grand Island. Since the stands form a 60-mile radius in central Nebraska, Lisa and the younger kids are constantly on the road visiting the locations while Jerica, 16, keeps the home in Oxford operating. Noah, 13, helps with unloading boxes and longs for the day he can work in the stand too. Nebraska’s fireworks season runs from June 25 to July 4.
Craig has assembled a Hot Rocket operation guide, nicknamed the Pyro Guide, which he expects those running the stands to study. He wants them to be able to answer any question the customer has and give accurate recommendations.
That philosophy seems to be working. Every year, Hot Rocket hears from returning customers who rave about how wonderful their previous year’s fireworks were. One year, Lisa was boxing up leftover inventory on July 5 when a man stopped by specifically to tell her that their fireworks show was the best they’d ever had because of Hot Rocket fireworks.
Helping families make memories
When Craig and Lisa first started selling fireworks, it was hard for Lisa to understand his fascination with fireworks. Her own family did very little for the Fourth. Then Craig told her, “We’re not just selling fireworks, we are helping families make memories.”
Now she is as enthusiastic about the business as he is. Each year, she screen prints almost 1,000 T-shirts that are given away at the stands. Through the Facebook page (facebook.com/hotrocket), the business also gives away freebies to participating customers. With purchases, customers earn blast bucks to be used on future purchases.
Hamre’s brother, Curt, now owns and operates the two stands in South Dakota so Hamre can focus on his Nebraska business. He plans to continue growing the business, adding a stand or two every year and continuing the quest to insure customers have Fourth of July memories that will last for years.
“We do what we do because the Fourth of July comes once a year, and we want our customers to have the best fireworks available in the U.S.,” Hamre said.
Who To Contact...
Craig Hamre
Hot Rocket Fireworks
P.O. Box 212
Oxford, NE 68967
888-797-6284
craig@pyrobug.com
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