Jake’s, Superior sign deal

The closing date is still three weeks away for Jake’s Fireworks to close on the purchase of the former Superior Industries building in Pittsburg’s Northeast Industrial Park. But after two years of efforts and two years of negotiations, both sides have officially signed the deal.

“It’s a signed agreement,” said Jason Marietta, Jake’s retail sales director. “We’re very close. August 8 is the closing date, and it should be a done deal.”

But although some of the legal wrangling is complete, there will still be plenty of work for Jake’s to do after the closing date.

As part of the attempts to secure the building, Jake’s agreed to make a number of improvements to the 500,000-square foot building so it can store Class C (consumer) fireworks.

The improvements will include new draft curtains, new fire coatings for columns that can withstand fire for up to two hours, an updated sprinkler system, a new sprinkler system, and smoke/heat vents throughout the building.

Many of these improvements were recommended by a consultant, Rick Thornberry. Thornberry is a nationally known fire code expert, and besides the new fire-protection hardware also suggested some softer ideas, such as painting the floors to identify where certain product can be stored and listing a maximum stacking height of 10 feet.

Marietta said Tuesday that he expects these repairs could take upwards of six months to be completed.

“It’s been a challenge figuring out how to make the building compatible for the storage of fireworks. That was the juge hurdle,” Marietta said. “The building was not made to store consumer fireworks, but we are retrofitting it to make that happen. The city stepped up to the plate to make it happen because of the increased cost of bringing product to Pittsburg, Kansas. But we wanted to stay here from the get-go.”

The city is also pitching in with a $700,000 loan that will be forgiven if the company adds five jobs each year for the first three years while retaining the 82 jobs already in the company.

Marietta said he looks forward to the capabilities of the new facility, particularly in light of their current operations — largely out of shipping containers.

“It will make us a great deal more efficient, will allow us to pull orders faster, and will cut down tremendously on damaged product,” he said. “The greatest trailers in the world won’t always keep products dry.”

The busy season for Jake’s has largely come to an end, although this year’s season was a little hampered by the drought, keeping sales nearly nonexistent in several states. But although the busy season is ending, Marietta said the work doesn’t.

“It’s a bit like [Oklahoma football head coach] Bob Stoops recruiting now and in February so that in two years they can help him win ballgames,” Marietta said. “Most people think we’re busy only from late May/early June for a couple months and that’s it. But the preparation work now prepares you for eight months from now.”

Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 140.