|
|
|
|
 A CEO who relaxes by blowing things upPillar Data Systems founder Mike Workman unwinds at his hobby fireworks factory.(FORTUNE Small Business) -- Mike Workman likes to blow stuff up. When he's not running Pillar Data Systems, the data-storage company he founded in San Jose, Calif., with investment from Oracle (ORCL, Fortune 500) founder Larry Ellison, Workman designs custom fireworks at his hobby factory outside Oatman, Ariz. And we're not talking sparklers. In 2003, at Ellison's request, Workman orchestrated a massive show in San Francisco Bay that consumed 6,000 shells in 28 minutes, at a cost of $250,000. "The permits alone were $40,000," he says. Though most of his shows are for personal enjoyment - out in the desert with a cigar, a glass of wine, and his dachshund, Clams - Workman competes in annual pyrotechnic conventions across the West. His pièce de résistance this year? An aerial shell that will rise to 2,000 feet and shower colors across a quarter mile. In addition to building fireworks, Workman bottles wine - 400 to 500 gallons a year of reds, from cabernets and merlots to his favorite petit syrah. "What I found in starting a company is that it really has to be an obsession," says Workman, 51. "So I need alternative distractions that I can be equally obsessed over. I need something to give my brain a rest." Do you unwind from business pressures with an exotic hobby? Tell us about it. Fireworks clampdown: An explosion in regulations is smothering small fireworks-makers. Pyrotechnics: Another CEO with a passion for fire. |
Photo Galleries
Money magazine asked several financial experts: What are you doing with your own portfolio in the wake of the financial crisis? More
Former executives are flocking to the vineyards of Napa Valley, where they're vying to produce the next cult California red. More
Installing surveillance cameras to keep an eye on the staff can help business owners boost profits and pinpoint problems. More
 |
* : Time reflects local markets trading time. † - Intraday data delayed 15 minutes for Nasdaq, and 20 minutes for other exchanges. Disclaimer
| Copyright © 2008 BigCharts.com Inc. All rights reserved. Please see our Terms of Use. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. Intraday data provided by Interactive Data Real-Time Services and subject to the Terms of Use. Intraday data is at least 20-minutes delayed. All times are ET. Historical, current end-of-day data, and splits data provided by Interactive Data Pricing and Reference Data. Fundamental data provided by Morningstar, Inc.. SEC Filings data provided by Edgar Online Inc.. Earnings data provided by FactSet CallStreet, LLC. |
