When the sun goes down on July 4, Americans in more than a hundred cities will see the latest combustible pageantry from Fireworks by Grucci. The 160-year-old pyrotechnics firm has produced eye-popping explosions for everything from The Bachelor (a Las Vegas extravaganza in season 15) to the opening of Dubai's Palm Jumeirah artificial islands (the largest fireworks show in history). But for all the computers and wireless launching systems on hand at events, many of Grucci's most important tools are in its facility on the grounds of an Army ammunition plant in Radford, Virginia. Safety is paramount to executive VP Phil Grucci, who lost his father and a cousin in an explosion in 1983. We asked him to tell us about his tools.
Photo: David Duncan