Page 2 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - July, 2018

2

Far left:
Children get
their thrills
as they gear
up for the
Fourth down
at Thunder
Valley.
Left: Families
are excited
as they
score deals
on firework
cakes, Saturn
missiles
and Roman
candles.

FIREWORKS workers are utilizing the advancement
of technology to their benefit. Many
From page 1 businesses advertise through social media
their trucks. When previous Chehalis Tribe and now accept credit or debit card
Chairman Percy Youckton established payments from smart phones.
a fireworks ordinance, people began Out of eight wholesale distributors,
constructing stands to operate businesses two are local tribal member wholesale
from. businesses. Many fireworks stand
In the beginning, there were 15 owners get to see free samples at displays
fireworks stands that eventually grew to throughout the season to entice stand
more than 100 stands. To create a large owners to purchase from them.
customer base and grow each season, Tribal member Barnaby Canales
stand owners became savvy business operates one of the wholesale businesses.
people and used various forms of He has helped put on the big fireworks
advertising. They came up with creative extravaganza at the softball fields on
names and painted their stands vibrant the Fourth of July. The show is one of
colors, put out flyers and even ran ads on customers are instrumental in the success the tribe’s main attractions. It brings
local radio stations. For the most part, of the fireworks business. Knowing how in hundreds of people from around the
stand owners relied on word of mouth to make deals and sending customers region to witness the Chehalis Tribe light
and that customer satisfaction would home happy also helps the flow of up the sky with 320 salutes.
keep people coming back. fireworks sales. Canales said he wishes to thank
Many tribal members realized having In recent years, the number of stands Chehalis Tribe Chairman Harry
a fireworks stand is expensive and a lot has decreased. There were roughly Pickernell Sr. for allowing the tribe to
of hard work, but it can be worth it if 70 stands this year, but the business purchase the machine and equipment to
you continue to build clientele. Repeat has become more family oriented and “make the show possible.”

Festive fireworks are loaded onto a pickup truck. Hector Canales Jr., Dustin Klatush and others prep fireworks for the tribe’s big show.