Fireworks by Grucci has 54 scheduled fireworks displays, some incorporating Pyrodrone displays nationwide with about a dozen in Queens, Nassau and Suffolk counties (two in Brentwood, one each in Orient, Hampton Bays and East Hampton), celebrating our nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

TheLong Island Advancerecently spoke to Phil Grucci, CEO and creative director of Fireworks by Grucci, by phone, about the company’s plans from its Radford, Va., plant for both fireworks and explosives for the Department of Defense. A family-run business since 1850 and a global leader in world-class fireworks, their main fireworks studio is in Bellport Village. According to their website, they’ve garnered 14 Guinness World Records, including the “Largest Fireworks Display” and “Largest Single Fireworks Shell,”weighing 3,900 pounds. The Gruccis have illuminated eight consecutive U.S. Presidential inaugurations and five Olympic Games.

LIA: With all the scheduled fireworks celebrations, which one is considered the most elaborate and what does it entail?

Phil Grucci:The most elaborate is the performance in Las Vegas. It’s bringing together 16 buildings on a famous strip and in the valley and will be the largest show that encompasses over 150 pyrotechnicians, designers, engineers and others on our logistics and operations team. It includes displays from the rooftops of the MGM, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesar’s Palace, Treasure Island, The Venetian, Fontainebleau, Resort World and The Stratosphere, and in the valley, the seven Station Casinos properties. We are also starting a weekly series on June 6, and we’ll be displaying on the nine strip properties, the first weekend in June to the last weekend in July, plus three properties in downtown Vegas. The first of July, we’re celebrating with 600 drones, a pyrotechnic and aerial show from the roof of the Palace Station celebrating its 50th anniversary. That’s a kickoff to the Independence Day weekend. On the 4th, firing will be from 16 locations.

LIA: Explain how you scheduled the celebrations here.

PG:Because America’s 250th is on the 4th and on a Saturday, most all Independence Day performances will be on that day. We are at capacity. Our primary resource is our pyrotechnicians. We have reserved these individuals to service our loyal customers during this period and to assure we support their celebrations nationwide. Many of them requested to increase the celebration and if we can increase the size of the show. In Las Vegas, we’ve been performing for 50-plus years there. That really grew; the Las Vegas Visitors Authority wanted “to go BIG” and this performance will be the largest in the nation. On the Hudson River, we will perform from our legacy customer Jersey City, joining the Macy’s performance. Jersey City is a shining star; also, we’ve been working with them for over 15 years, and the collaboration with Macy’s is a symbolic “handshake” across the river between Jersey City and New York City. This thematic collaboration will yield a larger than normal 250th celebration. We will also be integrated in an international celebration of America’s 250th in Belgium.

LIA: How many staffers are involved altogether?

PG:Full time, it’s 200 people in the factory focusing on fireworks and manufacturing, then another 30 designers, logistics managers and others, and about 300 pyrotechnicians for the programs. Each display is led by a chief pyrotechnician that has on its team a minimum of four to as much as 150 pyrotechnicians.

LIA: When did you start your planning?

PG:We started Fourth of July last year. We’re very attentive to the day of the week. This year, the celebration falls on a Saturday, which is the most impactful.It’s all on the 4th; there are very few celebrations before, so it’s a challenge. Usually, if the date falls on the middle of the week, we can spread out the volume of shows the weekend before, the day of the 4th,and the weekend after. All details have to be coordinated to handle the surge. To prepare for this year, we needed to ship much of the equipment from the Middle East back here to accommodate that.

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