Geyser Flow Control teams takes Business Plan prize

Friday, hopefully, was just the beginning.

Late in the day, the Geyser Flow Control team was crowned winner of the 2012 Dominic Anthony Marrocco Southern Nevada Business Plan Competition, out of 30 total entrants. The group, composed of Peter Maksymec, Josh Ellison, Seth Ostrowski and Mike Giannini, learned the news at an event inside the Stan Fulton building on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus.

As the grand-prize winners, the team is set to receive a $65,000 in cash and prizes. The contest was a joint venture between UNLV's Lee Business School and the Las Vegas Business Press.

The competition challenged aspiring entrepreneurs to submit viable business plans that were both feasible and have high growth potential. Through a series of eliminations, the business plan submissions were whittled down to 10 semifinalists, then five finalists before Geyser Flow Control won the grand prize.

The team's business plan focused on the Geyser Flow Control product, a metal disc that can be affixed to a sprinkler riser that will limit the flow in case of malfunction. The device also lowers the amount of pressure to the sprinkler head, which results in more concentrated water drops hitting the lawn.

Along with the original product, the team also created a tool that helps eliminate the need to dig to find a sprinkler head.

Part of the group's plan is to work with local water boards to see whether they will offer customers rebates for using their product. A household kit, priced at $20, is slated to include a few discs and the tools needed to install and remove them.

Maksymec, a former gaming executive, invented the product. The other members of the group are UNLV master's of business administration and management information systems students.

Upon hearing the news they won, Maksymec did a low fist pump and shouted. "Yes!"

"I think it's great. Of course, I'm elated," Maksymec said. "This launches our business."

Each of the contest's remaining four finalists will receive a cash prize of $500. Geyser Flow Control's final competitors were: Beam, MAD Sensor, Mash Tool and SNAP.

Earlier it was reported that the 2012 prize package was on par with last year's, which was valued at $78,950. Competition organizers said the reason for the discrepancy is that a sponsor dropped out four weeks ago, and they were unable to replace them in time.

Final judges for the 2012 competition were Mark Brennan, founding partner of Brennan Capital Partners; Ian McNeil, a partner in Brennan Capital Partners; Rick Duggan, technologist for Zappos; Dominic Marrocco, entrepreneur in residence at the UNLV College of Engineering; Fred Mossler, senior vice president of merchandising at Zappos; and James G. Wright, executive editor of the Las Vegas Business Press and business editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"The quality of the plans this year were a lot higher than in previous years," Marrocco said. "I think there's a whole buzz around the valley at the moment around entrepreneurship."

Marrocco explained the judges had one primary question in mind when looking at plans: Would you invest in this company?

"It was entirely the feasibility around taking it to market. It was very close," Marrocco said. "To be fair, if you made it to the finals, you're already a winner. Your business is worthy of investment."

McNeil, too, said the business plan continues to rise.

"It made our job, actually, quite tough," he said.

Brennan said he credits the competition's organizer, Andrew Hardin, director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Center for Entrepreneurship.

"I don't know what magic he's doing over there, but it's a real pleasure to work with him," Brennan said.

Of the winner, Brennan said, "I think it was very clear to us the winner of tonight's competition is going to go out and (start this business).

"Now's not the end."

Contact reporter Laura Carroll at
lcarroll@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588.