Photo courtesy of Greyson Kennemur
Fireworks stand
Myles Wergin (left) and Greyson Kennemur (right) opened a fireworks stand in Greystone next to Vapor Thrift Store to help pay their college tuition and give back to the choral program at Oak Mountain High School
Two former Oak Mountain High School graduates have opened a fireworks stand with a goal of paying for their college tuition, but also to give back to their former high school.
Greyson Kennemur and Myles Wergin, friends since 6th grade and currently roommates and students at Troy University, opened their fireworks stand beside Vapor Thrift store the day after Christmas.
The two have always wanted to start a business together and began saving money during their senior year.
Kennemur’s grandfather has had a fireworks stand in Argo for 40 years and he spent time working with him there. The duo decided to open their own fireworks stand on the 280 corridor with the help of Kennemur’s grandfather and Wergin’s father.
“We're using the proceeds to pay for our tuition and giving 10% of our profits to the Oak Mountain High School Choir program,” Kennemur said. “I contacted Michael Zauchin, the choral director and told him we wanted to give back to them and have the opportunity to see them all again.”
At Troy, Kennemur is majoring in nursing and Wergin in business management. They are both paying their own way through college to avoid student loans.
They took all the necessary steps required to open the stand, including buying a trailer and modifying it, going through the process to open it in Shelby County and working to promote it.
“It’s been crazy what we had to do, between studying for college, emailing hundreds of people, getting fireworks and the trailer, talking with Vapor and meeting with boards for Shelby County,” Kennemur said. “It’s been a lot. We’ve learned a ton. We wanted to start our own business, and we’ve gotten to do it a lot earlier than we thought.”
Their stand, named Loco Lisa’s (after Kennemur’s grandmother) is located next to Vapor Thrift Store. It opened Dec. 26 and will remain open until Jan. 1. They are open daily from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Customers can walk up to the window and buy their fireworks, or can also go inside and shop. Masks are required.
“Nobody is doing fireworks shows right now, so people are doing them at their house and need somewhere to get them,” Kennemur said.”
They already have plans to reopen this summer, June 24 - July 6, for the fourth of July holiday.
Loco Lisa’s Fireworks is located at 5449 U.S. 280. You can contact them on Facebook here and by phone at 205-209-0407.
