Hydrotec

Paul Ciesiun ’06

At this time, our production capacity cannot meet our sales orders. Our U.S. patents have been approved and we have received notice of allowance on foreign patent applications in 100 countries.”

Well that’s certainly a promising situation for avid paintball enthusiast, successful entrepreneur, and U.S. Air Force veteran Paul Ciesiun ’06.

As a player, referee, and paintball park owner, he noticed that even when it got dark players still wanted to be on the field. Although glow-in-the-dark gelatin-based paintballs were visible at night, Ciesiun sensed an opportunity to create something far better for the industry and the environment. While completing his business management degree at Illinois State, Ciesiun thought back to this idea as he sat in on a graduate course on drafting business plans.

“Creating a business plan allowed me to take a critical look at my idea and product strategy. Understanding how an entrepreneur functions helped me hone the skills that have contributed to my successes to date,” said Ciesiun. “The process also resulted in raising a significant sum of money necessary to complete the feasibility study that proved the viability of my idea.”

Paintball by the numbers

If you’re wondering if real money can be made in the paintball industry, the answer is YES. This $450 million-a-year industry is the number one team extreme sport in the world. It is played in nearly 100 countries at several thousand paintball parks. There are more than 300 collegiate paintball teams as well as two U.S. and several international professional circuits. Participation levels by general enthusiasts (seven million and counting) continue to rise here and abroad.

The art and science of manufacturing
the perfect paintball

After extensive research and experimentation, Ciesiun created a biodegradable, nongelatin, glow-in-the-dark paintball that uses water with unique properties as a primary component. The odor-free HydroTec shell is a corn-based bio-polymer immune to degradation by heat or moisture. It only breaks down through contact with soil bacteria. The paintball fill, which is 98 percent water, is a gel at rest. It liquefies on impact and re-gels in milliseconds, which means it won’t run down and streak a target or bunker.

Even the shell thickness and breaking properties can be determined during the proprietary manufacturing process he developed. And because each half of the ball can be filled separately before being joined, customers can get dual-color combinations which are fun day or night. Soon HydroTec clients can even request their shells be customized with printing, embossing, or engraving.

“The formulation and the highly precise production system we’ve developed eliminate variability from batch-to-batch, so HydroTec can truly offer a superior, reliable, and environmentally friendly product,” said Ciesiun.

Redbird connections

In addition to the education he received while attending ISU, Ciesiun says he’s been fully supported moving forward. “Erik Franklin ’06 and Mary Wolf ’06 assisted in drafting the business plan that helped secure funding for our first production line. As I expanded the HydroTec team, College of Business faculty and staff connected me with very talented graduates. I recently hired Lauren Madsen ’08 and Rees Mason ’08, who are great additions.”

“It is exciting to be part of a start up with such amazing potential. I am learning at a rapid pace, not only about the paintball industry, but also the challenges of getting a new business off the ground. I am looking forward to growing as a professional right alongside this business,” said Mason.

Lauren Madsen is very excited about HydroTec too. “Being involved in many different areas of the business means I am learning a tremendous amount. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us!”

Words of wisdom

Ciesiun believes persistence and a strong belief in what you do are essential for entrepreneurial success. “Overconfidence is detrimental and will keep you from seeing pitfalls in your process. Just know there is a solution to every problem. If you put your head down and keep moving forward you will find it.”

Growing HydroTec

Ciesiun is looking to secure investors to fund construction of two more production lines. Police and military organizations have expressed interest in paintballs that can be used as nonlethal projectiles to subdue violent suspects or as part of crowd-control measures. He is also working with the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and lawn/garden care industries to create other products that would use HydroTec’s patented technology as a way to diversify his business.

Check out the HydroTec video taken at the 2011 Paintball Extravaganza at Anaheim.