Delafield-based Bartolotta Fireworks Co. will close and become part of Wolverine Fireworks Display Co., company president Jeff Bartolotta said.
Bartolotta announced the change in a post on the company’s Facebook page, saying that he would remain the point of contact for Michigan-based Wolverine displays.
“It is important to note that business will continue to operate with the same level of professionalism and safety as it has for the last 39 years. I will personally ensure that as valued customers, your needs are not just met, they’re exceeded,” Bartolotta wrote.
Wolverine won a $154,000 judgement against Bartolotta and the company in a Michigan circuit court last year.
Bartolotta and his wife Donna filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy in the U.S. District Court for Western Wisconsin last month.
The couple listed almost $3.7 million in liabilities and roughly $506,000 in assets. The debt to Wolverine was listed as for goods and services.
The Bartolotta’s are listed in the filings as one-third owners of Bartolotta Fireworks LLC. The filing adds the company is insolvent and the principal secured lender will begin collection actions soon.
The company was in its third generation of family ownership. Founder Sam Bartolotta started doing a few fireworks shows a year in the 1930s, but made the business his full-time job in 1977 by starting the company.
Bartolotta Fireworks does hundreds of displays throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, including Summerfest, ethnic festivals and other local events. The company will continue with its shows moving forward as part of Wolverine.
