Pyropak.com
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Pyrotechnics PYROPAK Indoor stage fireworks special effects products services supplies Luna Tech
Description
The Beginnings of It All...
How does a passionate hobby become a multi-million dollar industry? Like many successful people, Tom DeWille credits the influence of an inspired teacher. Tom describes his high school chemistry teacher as, "…old school; he believed everyone should know some chemistry, and chemistry should be fun. I learned a lot, and managed to get through school without blowing up the chem lab."
While trying to make some pyrotechnic effects to shoot for his sister's birthday, he came up against a technical problem he couldn't solve. He finally decided to call a local fireworks company to see about purchasing the effects. The owner of the company, Loren "Uncle Red" Wisdom was so impressed with the technical questions he asked, and his knowledge of pyrotechnics, he hired him over the phone. At the tender age of 16, Tom toured for Uncle Red with Tom Pack's Circus doing pyrotechnics all over the south.
Bigger and Better Rockets
His pursuit of bigger and better rockets led him into the army as a Nike Missile Repairman. Shortly after his hitch with Uncle Sam was up, his old friend and mentor Uncle Red passed away. At his widow's request, Tom stepped in and finished the shows that Uncle Red had contracted. He then went to work for NASA, but continued doing fireworks on the side. Tom's restless intellect, always looking for better ways to do things, soon led him to branch out into theatrical lighting after attending a ballet recital where "the music and dance was exquisite, but the lighting was terrible!"
