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Our History
The story of American Fireworks begins in 1979, with a family, a seasonal fireworks business, and the beginning of a name that would endure across three generations.
A Family, a Season, and a Name
Bernard “Bernie” and Liela Siegel established the original American Fireworks business in southeastern Wisconsin. What began as a seasonal operation grew considerably. By the early 1980s, Bernie and Liela were operating under the American Fireworks Company, Ltd. name—a history documented in a 1983 United States District Court decision.
Over the following years, the operation expanded.
Three Locations Near the Border
A later Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision documents Bernie, Liela, and Bernie’s cousin Jerry operating three American Fireworks locations near Interstate 94 and the Wisconsin-Illinois border: American Fireworks One, American Fireworks Two, and the American Fireworks Stringer Stand.
Two were permanent stores. The third was a seasonal tent-and-trailer operation near Highway 50 and I-94.
A Familiar Rhythm
Even then, the rhythm of the business looked remarkably familiar. Court records describe inventory arriving ahead of the summer season, heavy weekend traffic, customers traveling from Illinois, and the company’s busiest days falling immediately before and on the Fourth of July.
American Fireworks had found its place in a distinctly American tradition. And a second generation was already growing up around it.
Growing Up in Fireworks
Bernie and Liela’s son, Vince Siegel, was introduced to fireworks at an early age.
Vince’s entrepreneurial streak appeared just as early. His published biography recounts him selling firecrackers to neighborhood kids from a tackle box as a boy—long before fireworks would become his greatest professional undertaking.
Building Their Own Company
But the modern American Fireworks was not simply an established company handed from one generation to the next.
When Vince and Heather Siegel carried the American Fireworks name forward, they did so without inheriting the operating business that had existed before them. They had a family name, experience in the industry, and an opportunity.
From there, they built their own company.
Vince pursued several entrepreneurial ventures while continuing to operate seasonal fireworks locations. Eventually, Vince and Heather made the decision to focus their energy on fireworks and take the business to another level.
Seasonal Locations Across Southeastern Wisconsin
American Fireworks expanded through seasonal locations across southeastern Wisconsin. Official municipal records document Vince and Heather operating those locations for years, including American Fireworks’ long-running seasonal operation in Rochester. In 2022 Village of Rochester records, Heather noted that the location was entering approximately its 20th year of operation.
But Vince and Heather envisioned something beyond the traditional seasonal fireworks model. They wanted a permanent home for American Fireworks.
2012: A Permanent Home
That vision became reality in 2012, when Vince and Heather built and opened their first permanent American Fireworks store.
The significance of that moment is reflected in Vince’s biography, which describes building the first brick-and-mortar American Fireworks location as the culmination of years of relentless work by Vince and Heather and a major turning point for their family.
The seasonal fireworks business had become a permanent one.
A Family Business
From there, American Fireworks continued growing into the company customers know today, with year-round retail operations serving southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois alongside the seasonal business from which the company grew.
What had begun generations earlier in tents and small fireworks stores had evolved into year-round destinations with an increasingly extensive selection of consumer fireworks.
Yet throughout that growth, American Fireworks remained unmistakably a family business.
Children grew up stocking shelves. Relatives returned for the Fourth of July season. Customers who first visited years earlier began returning with families of their own.
The Fourth became more than the busiest period of the year. It became a family tradition on both sides of the counter.
Growing Up in the Business
Among the children who grew up inside American Fireworks was Vince and Heather’s son, Luke Siegel.
Luke didn’t enter the company through an executive office. He grew up working in it.
At just 14 years old, Luke operated his first seasonal fireworks location, beginning an education in the business that would continue through virtually every level of its operations.
Over the following decade, his responsibilities expanded along with the company.
2026: A Third Generation Leads
In 2026, at 24 years old, Luke became CEO of American Fireworks, assuming responsibility for leading the business into its third generation.
That generational transition was featured by TMJ4 News in its story on the Siegel family’s Fourth of July tradition.
The story traced American Fireworks from the seasonal business started by Luke’s grandparents, through the company built by Vince and Heather, to the third generation leading it today.
The transition represents more than a new CEO. It marks the beginning of a new phase for American Fireworks.
Every generation, a different challenge.
The first established the name and the family’s place in the fireworks industry.
The second rebuilt the business, expanded its seasonal presence, and transformed American Fireworks into a permanent, year-round retail company.
The third is focused on defining the brand, raising the standard, and expanding the company without losing the qualities that made it successful.
Service, Experience, and Selection
That direction begins with three company pillars: Customer Service, Shopping Experience, and Product Selection. Or, simply: Service, Experience, and Selection.
Customer Service
Customer Service means having people who care about the customer’s celebration and have the knowledge to help create it.
Shopping Experience
Shopping Experience means recognizing that buying fireworks should be part of the excitement—not simply a transaction before it.
Product Selection
Product Selection means relentlessly pursuing an assortment that gives customers the freedom to build the celebration they want, whether they’re continuing a family tradition or planning a backyard show they’ll never forget.
These aren’t just words on a wall. They define what American Fireworks believes a great fireworks retailer should deliver.
Together, Service, Experience, and Selection provide the standard by which the next generation of American Fireworks intends to grow.
But they describe how we operate. There is something bigger that explains why.
For nearly half a century, American Fireworks has existed around one extraordinary day.
The Fourth of July brings families, friends, neighborhoods, and communities together to celebrate something they share.
For our family, fireworks have always been part of that celebration.
That’s why our motto is:
Bringing Patriots Together
It is both a reflection of where American Fireworks came from and a statement about where we’re going.
During America’s 250th anniversary, TMJ4 documented that tradition, including generations of the Siegel family returning to work together during the Fourth of July season and generations of customers continuing to make American Fireworks part of their celebrations.
Today, that idea sits at the center of our company.
The American Fireworks Mission is to promote patriotism nationwide. Our customers and associates exemplify the American Dream, by celebrating the Fourth of July and pursuing American Exceptionalism. Thanks for being a part of the journey!
From Bernie and Liela establishing the original American Fireworks, to Vince and Heather building the modern company from the ground up, to a third generation preparing American Fireworks for expansion—the business has continually evolved.
We’ve gone from seasonal operations to permanent stores. From one generation to three. And from a family fireworks business to a company with ambitions extending far beyond where it started.
Nearly half a century after the story began, we’re still building. We’re still a family business. We’re still celebrating the Fourth.
And we’re still doing what American Fireworks has done for generations: