Who's Who of Sayville

In a couple short years, Quentin Ochs made the switch from giving grades to giving t-shirts, shorts, hats and just about anything else you can silk screen.

Sayville native Ochs once aspired to be a teacher. But in the last year, he's made the transition to small business owner.

Ochs runs Expedition Printing, located under the Sayville Running Company. The silk-screening company caters to schools and companies that need specialized gear for their businesses or events.

Ochs grew up in Sayville with his family. He graduated from Sayville High School wanting to teach, thanks to summers spent as a camp counselor. "I love that moment when a kid just gets it," he said. 

Ochs studied education at university, and has a degree in elementary education. After college, he returned to Sayville and subbed regularly while looking for full-time work. When nothing came up, Ochs got his teaching masters. 

He then took a job on Royal Caribbean running programs for young sailors. In his spare time, he learned to scuba dive and made friends across the world.

But after a year, Ochs tired of constantly being on the go. He returned to Sayville. At the time, his father was looking for a flexible way to earn money after he lost his job. His solution? A part-time silk screen company. 

Ochs started as an assistant, but has since taken over. 

Already, he's taught himself how to use specialized software to design logos. He's also learned how to keep books, take stock of inventory and do quarterly taxes.

"I can say there is a big learning curve," he said. "The repetition helps."

Now that he has a core business model in place, Ochs is beginning to look at the bigger picture. He's started attending Chamber of Commerce meetings, he said, to network with local owners. He's upgrading some of his equipment.

He dreams of opening a storefront that would cater to sports teams. He would sell athletic gear, trophies and other gear. But for now, he's happy to just try to grow his business, one order at a time.

"Sayville is a great place for small businesses," he said. "I would love to expand here."