Originally posted by GI Milsim
Bill and Adam Gardner
It seems appropriate the biographies of the Gardner brothers be done together since they have been a team from the very beginning. In fact, Team Gardner has been at the forefront of the paintball industry since they were first introduced to the sport in the spring of 1986.began to experiment with paintball barrels by drilling holes in them. He found that the holes made a big improvement in the accuracy. Upon the advice of his father, Bill decided to patent his new idea.Their early prototype looked promising so they joined up with a group of Aerospace engineers from a company called Pneu-Ventures. Together, they developed the first electro-pneumatic paintball marker, The Shocker. This new design would change the game of paintball forever. The new group filed for patents and started manufacturing their new design. Smart Parts was to handle the marketing and sales while Pneu-Ventures would be the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the group took the Shocker to a tradeshow before they were in full production. Competitors took their idea and the arms race began. Pneu-Ventures had some early financial difficulties and decided to opt out of their agreement with Smart Parts. That way they would have the best of both worlds - High quality, machined parts from the USA and high quality, affordable electronics and composites from Asia. They never wanted to make a product unless they were willing to use it themselves.
It seems appropriate the biographies of the Gardner brothers be done together since they have been a team from the very beginning. In fact, Team Gardner has been at the forefront of the paintball industry since they were first introduced to the sport in the spring of 1986.began to experiment with paintball barrels by drilling holes in them. He found that the holes made a big improvement in the accuracy. Upon the advice of his father, Bill decided to patent his new idea.Their early prototype looked promising so they joined up with a group of Aerospace engineers from a company called Pneu-Ventures. Together, they developed the first electro-pneumatic paintball marker, The Shocker. This new design would change the game of paintball forever. The new group filed for patents and started manufacturing their new design. Smart Parts was to handle the marketing and sales while Pneu-Ventures would be the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the group took the Shocker to a tradeshow before they were in full production. Competitors took their idea and the arms race began. Pneu-Ventures had some early financial difficulties and decided to opt out of their agreement with Smart Parts. That way they would have the best of both worlds - High quality, machined parts from the USA and high quality, affordable electronics and composites from Asia. They never wanted to make a product unless they were willing to use it themselves.
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