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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1906 in San Francisco, California |
| Founder(s) | Manuel de Sousa |
| Headquarters | Rialto, California, United States |
| Key people | Jim Souza |
| Products | Fireworks Entertainment Show Production, Souza Brand Fireworks |
| Employees | 75 |
| Website | http://www.pyrospectaculars.com/ |
Pyro Spectaculars is headquartered in Rialto, California, USA, and occupies a portion of a former World War II military munitions facility. The company is one of the largest designers and producers of fireworks displays in the United States. The President and CEO is James Souza.
The site was operated by defense contractors and fireworks companies, prior to Pyro Spectaculars taking over a portion of the larger 160-acre (0.65 km2) site in 1979. The site was convenient to nearby explosives bunkers built by the military. Only one of those bunkers remains as of 2007, and it is no longer in use for the storage of fireworks.
Pyro Spectaculars conducts a series of pyrotechnics classes and seminars at this site, which are known as Pyro University.
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Beginnings [edit]
The company was founded in 1979 by Robert Souza, the son of Portuguese immigrant Manuel "The Parrot" Souza, who was a well-known pyrotechnician in San Francisco during the 1900s. It was Manuel's brilliantly-colored fireworks that earned him his nickname.
Specialty [edit]
The company's fireworks displays are characterized by tight musical choreography with an emphasis on medium and low-level effects such as: cakes, fountains and Roman candles, and a particular fondness for "set pieces".
Notable events [edit]
Pyro Spectaculars is responsible for the annual Macy's 4th of July spectacular fireworks display in New York City, shows at stadiums, and has been contracted by film crews to design shows for movies. The company's largest film contract was for the 1998 film Meet Joe Black, which made such an impression on star Brad Pitt that he later hired Pyro Spectaculars to produce a fireworks display for his wedding to Jennifer Aniston.[1] Other shows include:
- 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
- 2002 Winter Olympics, Salt Lake City
- 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta
- 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles
- World Cup '94
- Statue of Liberty 100th Anniversary
- 50th Birthdays of Golden Gate and Oakland Bridges
- President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in Washington
- Seattle Space Needle New Year's Fireworks: 1992–Present
- World Wrestling Entertainment Pyro: 2008–Present[2]
Related links [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Computer glitch put hitch in fireworks". Seattle Post Intelligencer. 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2008-01-04. "Technicians set off commands by hand for Space Needle event"
- ^ Yahoo! Answers - This question has been deleted
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