OXFORD — West Paris-based fireworks purveyor AAH Fireworks is expanding its company to the former home of Oxford Plans Fun Park, owner Andre Vandenbulcke said Wednesday.
The company, which operates a retail store that doubles as storage space at 52 Penley Ave. in West Paris, will renovate a 3,300-square-foot building at the Route 26 park, turning it into a showroom with an expanded array of products. It is expected to open in early March.
The plan will involve removing the mini-golf course. Vandenbulcke said he has plans to restart the go-kart track. He expects to hire three to four full-time employees, plus additional seasonal staff.
A sign announcing the expansion has been hung at the park at 877 Main St. for over a week. The park closed several summers ago and has been without an obvious tenant since.
The sale of consumer fireworks became law in Maine in 2012, prompting businesses to open almost overnight and some towns to draw up ordinances banning their use almost as quickly. Oxford, which does not have a fireworks ordinance, relies upon state laws to govern their use.
The Oxford Hills area has one other fireworks vendor, Havoc Fireworks in Paris.
The move reflects strong sales and the potential for a greater retail access by moving to the highly-traveled Route 26 corridor, and greater still expectations a hotel will be built across the Oxford Casino. Though sales have levelled off since their peak when legalized in 2012, Vandenbulcke said people still travel from all over the region.
The shop is almost directly across Route 26 from the offices of Oxford Plains Speedway, with which he hopes to develop a partnership, he said.
Vandenbulcke, who said he has been selling fireworks since he was 14 and custom designs his fireworks from China, said his plan is to give customers more of what they want.
“Feedback from customers has shown they like variety — whistling, spinners, loud bangs and bright colors blowing up. Now, people don’t just want things that shoot off, but fireworks that can do everything,” he said.
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