A former project manager in the nuclear sector has created a new system to produce musical firework displays for weddings, bonfire nights and other special occasions.
Rob Sosbe came up with a new system called ‘i-MOVE’ while watching a Covid-safe firework event where light beams bounced around illuminated buildings which was watched online by almost 250,000 people.
He hopes his multi-directional firework units will reignite his business, called Komodo Fireworks, and help it come back better and stronger than before following the pandemic.
Mechanical engineer Rob originally ran the business in his spare time while working on multi-million-pound contracts in the nuclear industry.
He said Komodo’s success grew year-on-year, producing shows on a par with bigger and more established companies, so he left his job six years ago to work on it full time.
He said profits went back into the business and training a team of 50 part-time display managers and operators who plan and run the shows.
He said Komodo, which is based in his home office in Market Harborough, south Leicestershire, was hit hard by Covid-19 which affected two summer wedding seasons.
However, it did give him time to look at opportunities in new effects, which is where the ‘i-MOVE’ project grew.
Most Read
It saw him reverse-engineer existing lighting equipment – replacing the lights with fireworks.
The equipment can tilt in different directions during a show with fireworks synchronised to music – something which Rob said had never been done before.
Rather than buy a new £10,000 lighting unit he saved cash by investing in a second-hand unit, and after months of research and development with some hiccups along the way, the first unit was up and working.
Rob believes it will take the business about two and a half years to get back to pre-Covid levels, and hopes ‘i-MOVE’ will lead to a new full-time position and support a 25 per cent growth rate.
To help find funding for more units Rob approached the Business Gateway Growth Hub – a partnership of groups including the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and East Midlands Chamber – which he had used for business planning support when he first started.
Business adviser Paul Bennett, who loved Rob’s idea, helped him meet a tight deadline for a Business Growth Grant which saw Komodo received a £6,000 grant.
Rob said: “Paul’s help was like gold dust.
Don’t miss
“He was able to steer us in the right direction with specific details on what the panel wanted. With the timescales we had, that kind of help was so useful.
“I think it’s great, we’ve had some recognition of the work that we’re doing through this grant approval.
“It’s a pat on the back from our perspective and it encourages us as a business to start to look at other opportunities for us to grow and develop.”
Paul Bennett said: “This grant application was certainly not a typical case involving product innovation and the use of multiple parts – some second-hand to build the ‘i-MOVE’ – as well as having to meet the pressure of tight timescales.
“However, I could see great potential in both Komodo and this growth project and wanted to support it, helping secure its future especially after being hit so hard by the pandemic.
“This story shows how businesses can bounce back from difficult times by thinking outside the box. Huge credit to Rob also for believing in his business and not giving up.”
Sign up for your free East Midlands newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the East Midlands including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire.
Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates.
We will also send out 'Breaking News' emails for any stories which must be seen right away.
For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our