Fireworks store owner hopes to wreak 'havoc' this year

Photo: Matt Hongoltz-Hetling

BUSINESS BOOM — Catherine Richards stands in front of the Route 26 building from which she hopes to open her business, "Havoc Fireworks," this summer.

PARIS — One of the first places in Maine to sell fireworks might be on Route 26 in Paris, if Oxford resident Catherine Richards is successful with her new undertaking.

Possession and sale of fireworks became legal in the state as of January 1.

"With it being a new law and something that's new to the state of Maine, I wanted to be the first one to jump on something like this," said Richards.

But she reports that the idea was not as simple as it first seemed.

"I'm a little overwhelmed by the actual process of all this," she said. "If you're thinking about going into it, it's not just throwing inventory in and unlocking a door."

The 27-year-old Richards seems like a natural to open the store. Her family owns an ideal location, a small retail structure next to Doe's gas station on Route 26. Through her fiancé, she has connections to a fireworks wholesaler, which can be a major obstacle for those who want to operate in the industry.

And as a CPA-in-training at Southern New Hampshire University, she's familiar with the concept of filling out forms and filing what's needed in order to operate a business.

She currently works helping people with their taxes in the winter, which means that she won't have as much to do in the summer, the time when fireworks sales typically pick up.

"I'm fortunate ...," she said. "I'd like to be open sometime this summer, but you can't go on to step two until you've completed step one."

Regulations

Step one, as it turns out, is proving to be more difficult than Richards realized.

"Jumping in, I thought it would be easy," she said. "I've been doing it since July, when someone [in the legislature first] initiated the law."

Richards quickly learned that the cost and amounts of paperwork required to meet government regulations were exhaustive.

"You're not only dealing with town or state, but also federal regulations," she said. "It's a very lengthy and expensive process."

Federal rules, said Richards, are stringent.

"There's a huge code-book that I have," she said. "It's like a bible."

In addition, Richards and any of her potential employees would have to submit to a background check. She has submitted fingerprints, passport photos, and will eventually host an on-site inspector, who will conduct a personal interview.

"It's about a three-month process just to get licensed with the federal government," she said. "There's a lot of crossing your 't's and dotting your 'i's."

As if that's not daunting enough, said Richards, she had to be prepared to pull out her checkbook.

"The federal license was $200," she said. "Once you apply for your Maine license, they charge you $5,000 just to get the license. To renew it costs, I think, about $1,500 a year."

And that's not all. Richards also has to install a sprinkler system to guard against a fire-induced explosion, which comes with its own expense.

"Just the legal professional fees would probably be around $10,000," she said, an amount that includes the state license charge. "Then you've got to stock it, which could be another expensive dent."

Richards is also pursuing a permit from the Paris Planning Board, and she says that, so far, the town has been very helpful.

"There's a need there," she said. "This town, I think, would be great with another business here. It's a win-win."

Safety concerns

Emergency officials in Paris and other towns in the area have expressed concerns about the potential dangers of fireworks in the community.

Richards said that she is the right kind of business owner to ensure responsible sales.

"I think if the right people are doing it, it's going to be great for the state of Maine and any town that has a new store opening. It's going to generate more revenues for the state and the town."

Richards said that, while she will encourage responsible fireworks usage, the burden is ultimately on the purchasing individual.

"There's always that one bad apple that's going to go and ruin it for everybody else," she said.

People shouldn't worry about her placing firecrackers into the hands of children, she said.

"You have to be 21 to buy them," she said. "I don't think that the actual selling is going to be a big deal."

 Opening soon

The state fire marshal's office hasn't yet received any application for fireworks stores, said Richards, but she doesn't necessarily think she will be the first to open her doors.

"There's a gentleman in Manchester who's got a lot of experience," she said. "He will probably get there before me."

Still, she hopes to have her store fully stocked by the time the Fourth of July rolls around.

For a name, Richards chose Havoc Fireworks, which she said she feels will have some eye-catching appeal for potential customers.

"What drove me was the definition in the dictionary, 'unnecessary disturbance,'" she said. "I thought that would be absolutely perfect."

Still, Richards said that there's one more thing she has to do if she truly wants to get a feel for the fireworks industry.

She's not exactly one of those children who grew up looking forward to setting off M-80s and bottle rockets every year.

"I've never actually had my hands physically on one," she admits, laughing.