Staff writer

Everyone loves fireworks but few people get as involved with the hobby as Eddie Whobrey, owner of Nite Lite Pyrotechnics.

Nite Lite Pyrotechnics started out as a hobby in the mid 1980's. Today the business has taken over a large part of Eddie and Tammy Whobrey's life.

A new computer sets beside the television in their vaulted ceiling living room. The computer was necessary for making orders and shipping designs to China.

Eddie Whobrey designs professional and consumer type fireworks. His hobby got started when Mike Fontana of Edmonson County asked him to come out and help with a fireworks display.

Whobrey started designing fireworks and the business has grown over the years. After designing the illuminates the designs are sent to China to be manufactured and then returned to Whobrey for shipping all over the continental United States.

Designing the fireworks requires an excellent knowledge of chemistry. Whobrey must know how to combine different chemicals to create certain effects.

He has to know how to package the chemicals and figure the timing on the explosions. Whobrey must also determine the size and angles of the tubes. The entire process takes anywhere from two days to one week for one firework.

After the design is worked out Whobrey sends his designs to one of three Chinese companies. The Lidu company is owned by the Ding family.

The Dequli company is based in Guangxi, China and the SunSong Company is one of the newer companies, making them very eager to get some American business.

These companies produce a prototype of the design and test it. The test is video taped for Whobrey and after viewing the tape Whobrey may make some adjustments to the originial design. With Whobrey's approval the companies start mass manufacturing the fireworks.

Pyrotechnics can be manufactured in the U.S. but the equipment involved in the industry is expensive and since China is already set up with the equipment it makes more sense to utilize their companies.

Whobrey designs many different types of pyrotechnics, sizes range from 2.5" canisters to 10" canisters. His first design was a display shell featuring a weeping willow shot with a palm tree inside. His second design was a multi-shot cake with a fan design.

Since those first designs in the mid 80's Whobrey has expanded his selection to include peanuts, which are two balls stacked together that break (or explode) twice usually with walls of weeping willows.

Pyrotechnics have a complete vocabulary describing the business and, of course, other Pyrotechs know exactly how to understand what may seem like a different language to others.

Whobrey's busiest season has just passed. The fourth of July is always a crazy time of year. Whobrey works 14 and 16 hour days.

October is the lightest times of year for fireworks. Whobrey suspects this is because of the other holidays, Halloween and Thanksgiving, not being synonymous with fireworks.

About November Who-brey will start to get busy for the New Year's Eve rush and that will begin another year of pyrotechnics.

He sets up a show room near his home for the fourth of July season to offer his own consumer type fireworks to the public and helps with displays in Ohio Co., Edmonson Co., Park City and Leitchfield.

He helps with the Ice Cream Festival Fireworks display shooting off cylinders as big as 6" in the city. Whobrey is careful to obey all NFPA rules and regulations, often adding his own safety precautions.

Whobrey is a member of the Pyrotechnic Guild International (PGI) and the Bluegrass Pyrotechnic Guild, Inc. (BPG). Both groups have conventions where pyrotechnics can get together and show off their work over the last year.

BPG shot the opening show for the PGI convention in Fargo. Being able to perform for people who understand all the work and creativity that went into the show was a great honor for Whobrey.

Nite Lite Pyrotechnics started out as a hobby but has exploded into a full-fledge business. Whobrey said he just wanted to do something different. "Variety is the spice of life."

He suggests that if you want to do something, go for it! Whobrey said he didn't want to wonder years down the road if could have done pyrotechnics. He tried it and with a lot of hard work and dedication he is successful at it.