ONTARIO — Joel Baker has been playing competitive paintball since he was a teenager. He started selling paintball gear out of his garage and moved the business into Ontario’s Servex Center in 2018.
Punishers Paintball carries paintballs, paintball guns, masks, tanks, tank grip covers, pods and storage, as well as clothing gear, headbands and loaders.
The business now has its own building at 25 Lexington-Springmill Road. Joel Baker and his wife, Kentee Baker, celebrated their grand opening at the new location Tuesday with a ribbon cutting.
Richland County Commissioner Cliff Mears said he’s played paintball with his son multiple times and encouraged anyone to try the activity if they haven’t before.
“This is a great sport, it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “Joel and Kentee, thank you for the investment in Ontario. This is a great place to do business and I’m sure you’re gonna prosper.”
Joel Baker said the couple couldn’t have bought the building without the community’s support. He said the store can accommodate most budgets with its options of used guns and clothing gear, as well as varying price levels of paintballs.
“We have people who travel at least four hours to get here some days,” he said. “A lot of times, people don’t want to buy paintball supplies online because they want to hold it in their hands and try it out.”
Paintball guns range from $150 to $1,700, with Punishers Paintball carrying used options as well. The store offers trade-ins for customers who want to buy an upgrade.
Kentee Baker said some recognizable paintball brands the store carries include Virtue, Carbon, Tippmann, Empire, Dye and HK Army.
She said the store sells more paintballs than any other type of inventory.
“We also have the gel balls that kids can play with so they don’t get hurt,” she said. “You can just leave them in your yard and they’ll disintegrate.”
Kentee Baker said, in her experience, being shot with a paintball from far away doesn’t hurt. She said Punishers staff are willing to answer any customers’ questions and find the gear they need.
She said people just getting started with paintball will need a paintball gun, tank, loader and pod storage.
“Even if you’ve never played, you can still come here and get everything you need and have fun,” Kentee Baker said. “It’s a great family activity because it gets you outside and you can all work together.”
She said Punishers Paintball will soon add airsoft BB guns to its inventory. The store is located at 25 Lexington-Springmill Road. It is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday and noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The store can be reached online, on Facebook or at 724-571-5770. Joel Baker also posts inventory tests and demonstrations on YouTube.
