Art in the Sky: A.M. Pyrotechnics

“I’ve always been into the artistic part of it – what you can actually do with fireworks in the sky,” said Mayfield, owner of A.M. Pyrotechnics LLC.

The company is one of the largest purveyors of fireworks and choreographed fireworks displays in North America.

About 70 percent of the company’s business comes from supplying pyrotechnic products to display production companies and 30 percent arises from choreographed displays produced by Mayfield and A.M.

Mayfield has had a lifelong interest in pyrotechnics and his involvement in his company is hands on from bottom to top.

“I personally choreograph to music for A.M. and other companies, because very few know how to do that,” Mayfield said. “Another big role I play – which is very unique in the industry – is I actually design my own fireworks.”

Year-round fireworks

While the Fourth of July holiday is the busiest season for companies such as A.M., fireworks displays have become a staple of outdoor entertainment year-round.

“We have two really big seasonal cycles,” said Mayfield. “The largest is still the weeks surrounding the Fourth of July, but we sell to so many other companies, and they tend to buy their products in April and May.”

Amusement parks, state and local fairs, annual parades and festivals include fireworks displays in their events.

And, of course, there are the sporting events.

Every Friday night Cardinals game at Hammons Field ends with a fireworks display, courtesy of A.M. Pyrotechnics.

“My company donates 100 percent of those shows to the Cardinals and the city of Springfield,” Mayfield said. “We’re happy to do so – this is my backyard.”

Mayfield said that each show at Hammons Field – and they are relatively small ones by A.M. standards – takes about an hour to design, four hours of prep work at the A.M. facility and four hours to set up the electronically controlled show.

Kirk Elmquist, Cardinals’ vice president of sales and marketing, said the entire organization and the fans are thrilled with A.M.’s efforts at Hammons Field.

“They are absolutely outstanding,” he said. “We have such a great partnership with them. They really help entertain our fans, and that’s what we’re all about – making sure everyone has a good experience.”

Elmquist also notes the company’s acute professionalism. “They are the most accountable group of people we deal with,” he said. “We’ve had a show at every Friday night game. They’ve never been late, never missed a show, never had a challenge with weather. They are true professionals, a great company to work with.”

The fans really do respond to the fireworks show.

After the long July 28 game, some people left early to beat the crowd, but the majority waited for the aerial ballet that followed. A few folks showed up just for the fireworks. A couple of people were parked in the hotel lot across the street from the ballpark. Some in nearby neighborhoods came out on their lawns to watch the show.

While Mayfield is happy with his involvement in the Springfield community via the shows at Hammons Field, he is somewhat puzzled by the city’s attitude surrounding its biggest event, Firefall.

“We’ve never been given a chance (to do Firefall),” he said. “We’ve never even been asked to bid on the show, and I’ve never known why. But maybe one of these days we’ll be able to show Springfield what we can really do with a computer show.”

Around the globe

While people tend to associate fireworks with China, Mayfield said some of the best come from Spain and Italy. A.M. is the sole U.S. distributor of Spanish Caballer products, and the Buffalo company imports many items from suppliers in Sicily.

“We did a major testing recently for an upcoming show,” Mayfield said. “A lot of the items were from Spain. We also shot some 8-inch shells from China. They didn’t even come close to my 4-inch shells.”

Mayfield said that since the events of Sept. 11, the industry has had to face a number of additional challenges and regulations.

“9/11 has really hurt the fireworks industry in a big way,” Mayfield said. “When the Safe Explosive Act was passed, it put fireworks in the same realm as nuclear weapons, grenades and illegal firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives inspects us on a regular basis, and they use the same guidelines as for dynamite or heavy explosives.”

He points out that the industry is well-regulated, with 60 percent of what the consumer pays for product going toward the cost of regulations compliance.

But Mayfield’s love of the business – and the art – of pyrotechnics still burns as bright as one of his aerial displays.

“When I was old enough to even comprehend life, I was playing with fireworks,” he said. “And not – I can’t stress this enough – in an ‘I want to blow something up sense.’

A.M. Pyrotechnics LLC

Owner: Aaron Mayfield

Founded: 1997

Address: 5412 S. 244 Road, Buffalo, MO 65622

Phone: (417) 267-3799

Fax: (417) 267-3798

Web site: www.ampyro.com

Services/Products: Pyrotechnic products and productions

Employees: 9 full-time, 200 certified shooters[[In-content Ad]]