Our story: About Spirit of '76 Fireworks Wholesaler

Our Story

Welcome to Spirit of ’76, the fireworks wholesaler dedicated to the independent dealer. We have been helping customers satisfy their fireworks needs for more than 35 years. Back in 1987, John Bechtold founded Spirit of ’76 in Columbia, Missouri. Since our humble beginnings, John has grown the business from seasonal retail sales to a premiere importer and distributor of consumer fireworks serving over 5,000 customers. Each day John continues to strive to provide the safest and highest quality wholesale fireworks at the most competitive prices in the industry.


Meet Our Sales Team

Spirit of ’76 has knowledgeable staff available to answer your fireworks questions and to assist you with placing an order that fits your unique needs. They can also provide information and resources for helping you succeed in your fireworks business.

Ben Muzzey | Sales Manager

More about Ben

Ben Muzzey, Sales Manager, began working part-time for Spirit of ‘76 in 2002. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 2005, Ben joined the Spirit full-time as Spirit’s first full-time employee. Ben is proud to say he plays a small role in the huge successes of the firework entrepreneurs he works with daily. He finds joy in seeing the new and inventive ways pyrotechnics use our product lines in their fireworks displays. When not at work, Ben loves spending time with his wife and 3 children. An ideal day for Ben is to spend time with friends and family at a BBQ while watching his favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (573) 615-1608

Matt Snyder | Account Executive

More about Matt

Matt Snyder, Senior Account Executive began working with Spirit of ‘76 in 2004 part-time at our seasonal retail tent and warehouse. After graduating from the University of Missouri, Matt joined the Spirit team full time as an Account Executive in 2007. Later in 2011, he was promoted to Sales Manager. After moving to Michigan in 2015, Matt changed his role to Senior Account Executive. In 2017, he took an almost 3-year sabbatical into the corporate world before rejoining the Spirit team in August 2019. Matt is a proud member of the National Fireworks Association (NFA) and has been a past member of the Pyrotechnic Guild International (PGI) and American Pyrotechnics Association (APA). In addition to his passion for fireworks, Matt also believes in serving every customer, every time, with no exceptions or excuses. He loves to help his customers navigate the fireworks industry, making it easy for them to follow their passions and run a successful business. In his free time, Matt enjoys hanging out with his wife, Jennie, and their dog, Dulini. He also enjoys boating, golfing, grilling, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 484-403-1876

Angie Northway | Account Executive

More about Angie

Angie Northway, Account Executive, has been with Spirit since March of 2020. Prior to joining the team, she spent 16 years selling business sound systems, music service, and video content. She then moved into selling high-end countertops while owning two small businesses with her husband. After successfully selling their baseball/softball training center and 4-field complex, Angie joined the Spirit of ‘76 team. Since joining the team, Angie says she enjoys working with her customers and strives to be the expert they come to. Her goal is to make the best customer experience by making purchasing fireworks fun and easy. In her free time, Angie loves spending time with her family, the outdoors, and trips to the mountains. The 4th of July has always been a special time for Angie, as her parents share a birthday of July 4th. 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (573) 615-1610

Tim Thurber | Account Executive

More about Tim

Tim Thurber, Account Executive, has been with Spirit of ‘76 since 2017. Prior to joining the Spirit team, Tim worked in sales for the St. Louis Blues. Tim’s position for fireworks extends far past just assisting customers in finding their ideal fireworks. As a proud holder of a Missouri State Shooters License, Tim is an expert in choosing and shooting fireworks. A lesser-known fact about Tim is he was born in Canada. 

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (573) 615-1607

Jonathan Suchoski - Account Executive at Spirit of '76 Fireworks

Jonathan Suchoski | Account Executive

More about Jonathan

Jonathan Suchoski, ‘76 Pro Line Solutions Specialist, joined the Spirit of ‘76 team in 2021. He graduated from the University of Missouri where he studied Business with an emphasis in Marketing. Jonathan also obtained his Sales and Developmental Certification through the Trulaske College of Business. Jonathan has experience in running firework retail tents and assisting in the advancement of display and retail businesses. His joys come from seeing a customer’s growth in their business endeavors and witnessing the creativity in firework displays. Jonathan is a member of the APA, NFA, PGI and has successfully completed display operator training. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, grilling and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (573) 825-8194


A Brief History of ‘76 Fireworks

John Bechtold founded his fireworks business in Columbia, Missouri in 1987 at the age of 16. He began selling consumer fireworks from under a twenty-by-forty-foot tent in the parking lot of the Midway Travel Plaza, which was established by the Bechtold family in the early 1970s. John made a modest profit in his first selling season and would continue operating seasonal firework stands throughout his high school years, college years, and 20s. After completing his MBA program in the year 2000, he became dedicated to a career in fireworks and launched the Spirit of ‘76 wholesale website, 76fireworks.com. Click here to read more about John’s fireworks selling journey.

John Bechtold, owner and president of Spirit of ’76, in 2003.

Timeline: The Evolution of Spirit of ‘76 Fireworks

Spirit of ’76 employees stand above the Missouri River at Les Bourgeois in Rocheport, Missouri after attending an all-staff meeting in July 2022.

June 1987

John Bechtold opened his first fireworks tent

At the age of 16, John set up shop under a 20’x40′ tent in the Midway Truck Stop parking lot. He continued to operate seasonal tents throughout his early career.

May 1989

JB graduated from Rock Bridge High School

John attended high school alongside current ’76ers John Walker (VP of Operations) and Sean Clark (Supply Chain Manager).

2000

JB completed MBA program at Thunderbird

Therafter, John became dedicated to a career in fireworks.

Early 2000s

Launched 76fireworks.com

Early operations at Spirit of ’76 were conducted out of Midway Truck Stop shipping containers, and were focused on inbound logistics.

2001

Imported first container from China

John imported his first overseas container from Chinese fireworks supplier Hop Kee. It was the only overseas container he imported that year. Today, Spirit of ’76 is one of the largest wholesale fireworks importers and distributors in the U.S.

2004

2004 original Spirit of 76 Fireworks catalog

Published first Spirit of ’76 catalog

In 2004, Spirit of ’76 Fireworks supplied Cannon Brand, Brothers Pyrotechnics, Mighty Max, Bey Hai, Firehawk, and Black Cat.
We published our annual printed catalog from 2004 to 2019.

2009

'76 Pro Line, professional 1.4g fireworks for serious shooters, developed and distributed by Spirit of 76 fireworks

Introduced first ’76 Pro Line products

Spirit of ’76 Fireworks became the first fireworks wholesaler to develop a professional 1.4 line. This decision was driven by what our staff witnessed at club shoots and the PGI convention. “We saw consumers breaking apart cakes to take out individual effects,” John said. “It was really inefficient. This was one of the main reasons we decided to develop ’76 Pro Line.”

In 2009, ’76 Pro Line was the first consumer fireworks brand to bring 1.4 single shots and single-effect cakes manufactured in China to the U.S. market at volume.

April 18, 2011

Opened warehouse in Easton, PA

“I feel like having the Easton warehouse really helped drive the market penetration for ’76 in the Northeast U.S.,” said Jay Copin, who managed the warehouse from the day it opened to the day it closed on July 31, 2019.

2011

Fireworks for sale in Columbia Missouri. Spirit of 76 Fireworks Retail Store.

Moved into current Spirit of ’76 Retail Store building

We opened the Spirit of ’76 Retail Store directly behind the Midway Truck Stop in 2011. Our sales and administrative offices moved from the red double-wide trailer down the road to the offices in the back of the Retail Store, where our main sales office currently resides. The double-wide trailer continued to house our warehouse operations through 2015.

2011 – 2012

Sky Bacon Fireworks, developed and distributed by Spirit of 76 fireworks

Developed Sky Bacon brand and launched first Sky Bacon products

“Sky Bacon is one of the biggest successes of the whole company,” said John Bechtold. The brand turned 10 years old in 2022.

“John decided to come up with a family-friendly brand of fireworks focused on value after the 4th of July, 2011,” said purchasing manager Matt Rhinehart, who came up with the Sky Bacon brand name. “We spent the fall working on the name, logo, and developing products for the 2012 launch.”

“For the products, we tried to play off history,” John said. Among the first Sky Bacon products developed were the Mt Rushmore 500-gram assortment (based on the monument in South Dakota) and the Hellcat Cans (based on the fighter aircraft used during World War II). Today, Sky Bacon products also play off themes in popular culture.

Late 2011 – Early 2012

Launched major update to 76fireworks.com

A custom wholesale site vastly improved the eCommerce experience for our customers and sales staff. It featured:
– More accurate inventory;
– Better product pages;
– Embedded video player;
– More options for marketing.

Prior to this update, the old 76 website functioned as an eCommerce site but had some major setbacks. “It had real-time inventory but not exact numbers like it does today. Customers could complete orders, but no shipping or payment options were given. We would have to call back with a shipping quote and for payment,” said sales rep Matt Snyder.

2014

Wholesale Fireworks from Spirit of 76 based in Mid Missouri

Purchased first company semi truck

In 2014, the company employed one full-time driver and purchased a Volvo as its first semi truck. In 2022, we employ four full-time drivers and own five semi trucks.

2014

Spirit of 76 Fireworks logo

Revamped Spirit of ’76 Logo

Our current Spirit of ’76 logo was introduced in 2014. It was designed by our graphic designer Luis Blanco.

2015

Reached 96-container warehouse operation

Our container operations at the Midway Truck Stop had grown so much to be inefficient by 2015, thus creating the need for a larger warehouse facility.

January 2016

Fireworks warehouse in Boonville, Missouri. Spirit of 76 Fireworks wholesaler.

Purchased 150,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Boonville, MO

“The warehouse acquisition was a transformational point in ’76 growth,” said John. “It was great, a really good purchase.”

2016

Spirit of '76 Fireworks tent seasonally operated in Columbia, Missouri at Midway Truck Stop

Purchased mid-Missouri’s largest fireworks tent

Our retail operations in Missouri grew alongside our wholesale operations. In 2016 we acquired a 70-by-100-foot tent, the largest seasonally operating fireworks tent in mid-Missouri.

2018

Realtree Fireworks, designed and distributed by Spirit of 76

Introduced Realtree Fireworks

Our licensing agreement with Realtree made us the first and only U.S. fireworks company to launch an exclusive fireworks brand dedicated to hunting and fishing. We design products specifically for users and fans of the Realtree brand. The first Realtree Fireworks product developed was Snow Trax, a 500 gram single-effect multi shot.

2020

Tako Pyrotechnics, designed and distributed by Spirit of 76 Fireworks

Introduced Tako Pyrotechnics

The Tako line of fireworks was first introduced in 2020 with the 500 gram multi shot Sailor’s Nightmare. “Tako” is Japanese for “octopus.” The eye-catching logo paired with high-quality effects quickly made Tako Pyrotechnics a staple in American consumer fireworks.

2021

Giant fireworks warehouse in Boonville, Missouri. Spirit of '76 fireworks wholesaler.

Expanded on Boonville warehouse

The 43,500 square foot expansion of our warehouse in Boonville, Missouri was completed in 2021 for a total warehouse facility of 193,500 square feet. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the expansion was held on June 8th, 2021.

September 2021

Spirit of '76 at National Fireworks Association Expo

Unveiled major trade show booth upgrade

We upgraded our trade show booth with 10×10′ light-up walls, professional signage, and a 20′ spinning tower.

Fall 2021

76 PyroShop, the all-in-one eCommerce solution for independent fireworks retailers.

Launched ’76 PyroShop

We officially unveiled ’76 PyroShop, an all-in-one eCommerce solution for the independent fireworks retailer, in 2021 at the National Fireworks Association Expo.

Spring 2022

76 Pro Line ITALIA, professional 1.4g fireworks manufactured in Italy

Introduced ’76 Pro Line ITALIA

Our ’76 Pro Line product line expanded with premium professional-use 1.4 fireworks manufactured in Italy by Giuliani Fireworks. ’76 Pro Line ITALIA single-shot comets and mines first hit the market in the spring of 2022.

October 2022

Spirit of 76 Fireworks announces exclusive distribution partnership Giuliani Fireworks in Italy

Announced exclusive distribution agreement with Giuliani Fireworks

Giuliani Fireworks, a major European manufacturer of world-renowned professional fireworks and ’76 Pro Line ITALIA products, made Spirit of ’76 their exclusive distributor for the U.S. market.


Longest Serving Staff

Ben Muzzey, current sales manager, started during the 4th of July season in 2002 working at John Bechtold’s seasonal ‘Coastal Electric’ tent. Ben took a hiatus from Spirit of ’76 beginning October 2011 and returned in October 2014.

Matt Snyder, current sales representative, began working seasonally in 2004 before becoming full time in 2007. He was the sales manager from 2011 to 2015 before moving to Detroit. He left Spirit of ’76 in the spring of 2017 and returned in the late summer of 2019.

Matt Rhinehart, current purchasing manager, started in 2005 as a tent manager.

Sean Clark, current supply chain manager, started in 2006 by managing early warehouse operations at the Midway Truck Stop.

Beth Critchfield, current accounting manager, started working at Spirit of ’76 in 2007.


Fireworks Industry Credentials

Spirit of ‘76 Fireworks is a proud supporter of the following organizations, regional clubs, and industry events, including but not limited to those listed below.

Fireworks Organizations:
American Pyrotechnics Association – Sustaining Member
National Fireworks Association – Foundation member
Western Pyrotechnic Association – Proud Supporter
Pyrotechnics Guild International – Proud Supporter
American Fireworks Standards Laboratory – Proud Supporter

Regional Fireworks Clubs:
Kansas City Area Pyrotechnics (KCAP)
Missouri Pyrotechnics Association (MOpyro)
Pyrotechnic Artists of Texas (PAT / Fireants)
CrackerJacks Mid-Atlantic Fireworks Club

Industry and Regional Fireworks Events:
WPA’s Western Winter Blast Annual Convention
Cobra Firing Systems’ Cobra-Con Convention
Pyrotechnics Guild International Annual Convention
National Fireworks Association Spring and Fall Expos
American Pyrotechnics Association Spring and Fall Meetings
Sky Wars Invitational Fireworks Championship
Lone Star Fireworks Festival