How many people are fortunate enough to be able to develop their passionate hobby into a very successful business? Young entrepreneurs, Ian Myers and Jorj Andonian (25) have done exactly that.
They met playing recreational paintball at a local field in the Niagara region and soon realized that they absolutely loved it.
They formed a team to take part in the Canadian Tactical Series in 2008, to be truly patriotic they named their team ‘The Eh Team’. The team came into the tournament as very much the underdogs – no one even gave them a second glance – how wrong could they have been?
With courageous drive and determination Ian and Jorj led their team to win the tournament, much to the surprise of their fellow competitors. The following year they won the same tournament again winning 27 games out of 28, by this time the two were not only set on playing paintball but also wanted to play a more strategic role in the paintball industry as a whole.
Their dedicated focus and passion led them to open 
Operation Milsim in April 2009, at 4544 Queen Street in Niagara Falls.
They also developed a website – www.operationmilsim.com where players can buy merchandise online. They have also been particularly successful at cultivating a large following on the web by using social websites such as Facebook and YouTube.
The store has grown from strength to strength, where Jorj and Ian share their considerable knowledge, experience and enthusiasm with all. They have also gained incredible business prowess, which has meant even more success than even they could have imagined.
Their store is known for its wide variety of markers (or guns), accessories, clothes and the all important paintball masks. Safety is, of course, their primary concern and Ian and Jorj pride themselves on giving all players, new or experienced, the best advice to play an enjoyable and accident free game.
Ian said “We love the sport so much that we wanted to make it accessible to everyone at truly affordable prices. Paintball has always been seen as an extreme sport but that isn’t the case at all. It is a sport for anyone at any age.”
As if that wasn’t enough, not satisfied with just a store, the dynamic duo have now embarked on a new venture, a paintball field. They have acquired 35 acres of land in Fort Erie, 2343 Thompson Road, which also boasts some 3000 sq feet of indoor space where players can prepare their equipment, enjoy some refreshments or simply relax and socialize with their friends.
Jorj told me “we are really excited about the new field, it is going to change the way that people see and play the sport. In the past it has been a very expensive pastime and was considered somewhat exclusive, but our intention was to always make the sport available to anyone who wants to play.”
Operation Milsim have also formed a strategic alliance with Valken Paintball, one of the premier suppliers of quality paintball products in Canada. Players who rent guns at the Operation Milsim field will be able to take advantage of the Valken SW1 paintball gun, certainly the most sought after gun on the market at the moment.
During the weekend of their Grand Opening , June 5th, Operation Milsim will be offering ‘member discounts’ for all players. Whether members or not, ALL players will be able to buy paintballs at half price with a discount on rental prices for those players who don’t have their own equipment.
Ian and Jorj have surely proved that you really can ‘Shoot for the Stars’!
For more information, Ian and Jorj can be reached at the Operation Milsim store on 289-296-4726 or through their website www.operationmilsim.com
Courtesy of Simon Anna
