Big splash: from the grand to the conventional, Mark Fuller's WET Design has established itself as a leader in the creation of water-centric designs. (Small Business).

For a kid like Mark Fuller, growing up at the edge of the desert in Salt Lake City, water can be pretty enthralling.

Now chairman and chief executive of WET Design, his childhood fascination with water has evolved into a business with 50 patents and $11 million in revenues last year.

"I've always been fascinated by water and making it do things that are unexpected' says Fuller, noting that his first project was a waterfall in his backyard. "I knew early on that making it happen would require a synergy between engineering and design."

Fuller founded WET in 1983 after nearly six years with Walt Disney Imagineering, the Walt Disney Co. unit responsible for the development, design and engineering of Disney's resorts, theme parks, real estate developments and regional entertainment venues and new media projects.

While at Disney, Fuller worked on Epcot Center's LeapFrog water feature -- a series of watery arches that shoot into the air, hang there momentarily, and then fall gently back to the ground.

That caught the eye of a commercial developer who hired Fuller on a freelance basis. Realizing he might make a living if he struck out on his own, Fuller left Disney to start WET Design.

The company Fuller started in his home designs what are called "water expressions," which are showcased at California Plaza, The Grove and at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Team effort

"We strive to develop projects that set areas apart' Fuller says. WET, based in Universal City, combines water, entertainment and theater (hence WET).

Fuller has a hand in all aspects of the project, from business development to overseeing installations. A team of 40 designers, engineers, model builders,. illustrators, administrative staff and drafispeople creates each of the eight to 12 projects done a year.

Fuller seeks to blend visual design and invention to create "water features" that unite kinetics, sculpture, choreography, music, light and water. While the firm's 160 water features have their aesthetic appeal, they are powered by technology, much of it proprietary.

Fuller, who graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Utah and master's degrees in engineering and product design from Stanford, says it's a necessity.

"You can imagine how hard it would be to change a submerged light bulb," Fuller says, holding a light encased in a metal box with quick release "suitcase" latches. "We developed this design to make it easier for the people who maintain the fountains." The innovation reduced the time it takes to change the bulb from 10 minutes to just over 10 seconds.

"Some developers view fountains as luxury items," Fuller admits. "It's a challenge for us to educate them on the added benefit. We bring economic value to a project in a way that works on a pretty sophisticated level. We can design projects that appeal to a certain demographic, for instance, or encourage people to shop an extra hour."

A basic design for a shopping center can run $300,000. Others are in the stratosphere, such as the Bellagio's gigantic water feature.

"The Bellagio is the most 'fill-in-the-blank' of any fountain in the history of the world," Fuller laughs. "Most expansive, most complex, most expensive."

With 1,200 individual fountains and 5,500 computerized underwater lights choreographed by Kenny Ortega ("Dirty Dancing' "Xanadu"), the feature cost $75 million to complete.

But not all of WET's projects are on this grand a scale.

Steve Craig, president of the Craig Realty Group, knew he wanted a WET Design fountain at Carlsbad Company Store to add some entertainment value to the property.

"We discovered an unexpected benefit, however" Craig says. "We found that when families shop, dad and the kids hang around the fountain playing with the water and laughing at the jets. This allows mom to shop a little more, which is great since she buys about 70 to 80 percent of goods purchased in a mall environment."

Global reach

Domestic accounts make up about half of WET's business. The rest comes from clients in 20 countries. The most recent international project was completed at the Marina Mall in the United Arab Emirates in August 2001.

The firm recently enlisted the help of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Commercial Service to expand its international business.

"We've provided assistance in resolving payment issues and provided export counseling on various issues such as duties and intellectual property rights," says Amy Magat, international trade specialist.

Fuller and his 75 employees are comfortable making water appear to defy the laws of physics. If only the laws of finance were as easily mastered.

Though he estimates that 2002 revenues will grow to $13 million, Fuller says he is "investigating ways of stabilizing the wild gyrations in revenue that are inherent with project work."

He has some solutions up his sleeve, he says, but refuses to talk about them quite yet.

"When I get beaten down by the realities of the business world, like revenue streams" Fuller says, "I turn my back to one of my fountains and watch people's faces. Then I know it's worth it."

RELATED ARTICLE: PROFILE

WET Design

Year Founded: 1983

Care Business: Design, invention and development of water features in 20 countries and the U.S.

Revenues in 2001: $11 million

Revenues in 2002 (projected): $13 million

Employees in 2001: 75

Employees in 2002: 75

Goal: Leveraging technology to stabilize gyrating revenue stream

Driving Force: Demand for installations that not only enhance the environment, but drive business objectives