Thomas DeVito & Christian Moccia

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In the real world, it is difficult to be a visionary; it is even harder to be one when you're only 18.

But true leaders don't back away from creating a better vision of the future, even if that vision means defying your parents' dreams for you and dropping out of college to start your own business.

And when you're doing all this at 18, in the real world, it can appear that you're making all the wrong moves. However, if you believe in what you do and stick with it, there's only one path to follow ... toward success.

Success is a word that easily describes Thomas DeVito and Christian Moccia. Both young men, at the tender age of 27, are heads of Metro Ink Printing, Inc., and are recipients of the Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award in the Emerging Business Category.

Located at 2493 Richmond Rd., New Dorp, the company is considered a one-stop shopping solution offering top-quality designs, color printing and graphics as well as printing, marketing, advertising and direct mailing needs for both an individual or a business.

MANY SERVICES

Maybe you are looking for business cards, magnets, flyers, brochures or postcards to wow customers. Maybe you need flashy flyers to highlight even flashier cards, or super glossy, sleekly-designed calling cards to highlight the grand opening of a new nightclub, or special advertisements announcing the grand-opening of a new gym or a contractor's office. Metro Ink's work covers it all.

They can also provide compact disc and DVD inserts and covers, designer T-shirts, bags, towels, uniforms and tank tops. The company also offers Website design.

The inspiration for Metro Ink started when both DeVito and Moccia had just turned 17 and were seniors in high school. The astute young men saw the need for change in something so simple as business advertising flyers; so simple, it is a wonder no one else had thought of it.

"We were into art and looked around to see what was good and what was not and we realized everything out there wasn't good," DeVito said.

So these two young visionaries -- brimming with artistic yet unchallenged skills -- set out to turn the graphic arts/artistic end of the advertising/mailing industry on its ear.

The two saw that not only was the design level inferior, but both had the foresight to realize implementation of computers would play a large part in revolutionizing the appearance of flyers and other advertisements -- particularly, the computer program Photoshop 4.

"We figured Photoshop was the wave of the future and we learned it and then we started using the program," said Moccia.

So at age 17, working with one printer and one scanner, DeVito and Moccia kicked off their business in Moccia's bedroom. During the day, while still in school, they worked part-time restaurant jobs, while at night, they turned their visionary dream into reality out of that small space.

"We love the job but it was more passion first; learning the business came later," Moccia said.

BUSINESS GREW

Before long, however, business grew and the two relocated to Moccia's mother's garage. In the meantime, Moccia's cousin provided the printing capabilities through his business in Long Island City.

There were 12-hour work days, seven days a week.

"We had to do it," DeVito said, noting they didn't have any employees at the time.

They officially incorporated Metro Ink in 1999.

Back then, both were studying at the College of Staten Island; Moccia's major was undeclared, while DeVito had declared liberal arts. However, as the business grew, the two decided to set college aside.

Not surprisingly, they have no regrets.

"If you didn't do it, you wouldn't know what you were missing. I have a lot of friends from college who graduated with degrees and they are now looking for jobs. They put in more time as far as an education, but as far as working, we got a head start," Moccia said.

"We had a good head on our shoulders and we knew what was up even in high school. We were leaders and anyone who was doing anything came to us first. We were always leaders," DeVito said.

MANY NAY-SAYERS

But it was not without contention. Both Moccia and DeVito said there were plenty of nay-sayers in their midst.

"My mother had hopes I would stay in college and become an architect, but I was happy doing something I loved," Moccia said.

And the nay-sayers couldn't rival those who said they loved the work both were doing.

Eventually, they moved out of Moccia's mother's garage and relocated to Long Island City in 2001, then to Brooklyn in 2002. In 2003, they moved the business to 14 New Dorp Lane, then to 148 New Dorp Lane in 2004. As of November, they enlarged to a one-level, 1,600-square-foot office space at 2493 Richmond Rd.

While the two admit the business is lucrative, they added they use a lot of their profits to reinvest in the business, most recently purchasing a printing press that does large format printing. They also do mailings introducing Metro Ink to potential customers.

The bulk of their services started out in graphic design, but Metro Ink is now focused in printings and mailings; the company mails about one million pieces a year. And their clientele list is not too shabby -- among the notables are the St. George Theatre; Dolphin Fitness; Dr. Mark Scamardella; Designer Loft, Manhattan; Reinauer Transportation Companies, and they even recently did work for a division of the Walt Disney Co.

But like every industry, even this business has had its difficulties. For Moccia and DeVito, the hardest part is dealing with deadlines from clients who don't plan ahead and order things at the last minute.

"You own the business and people think you can take off when you want, but it's not like that," Moccia said. "You have to be available like a doctor on call. I don't think we thought about that much when we started, we dove in and did what we had to do."

Moccia's inspiration came from his early days with Marvel comic books and characters like Wolverine and SpiderMan.

"I pretty much started out drawing comics. As I got older, everyone would pass around a black book and do artwork and symbols and logos. It was kind of a way of branding my own name. It was graffiti but we weren't drawing on buildings," said DeVito, adding, "guys with no talent do that."

For his part, DeVito, now a West Brighton resident, loved the art of calligraphy, writing and rewriting his name in mostly varying styles, colors and designs of his own creation.

The two met as sophomores in Susan Wagner High School. They said it was their love of art and design that drew them to one another, those early days riding the S54 bus to and from school.

AN INSTANT BOND

"It's funny; most artists just have an instant bond. That's the way I made friends with most kids in high school," said Moccia, now a New Dorp resident.

However, Moccia and DeVito both knew their work stood out from the others and that mutual admiration turned them first into best friends, then business partners.

Their differing abilities are what make their business a success.

"I am more down-to-earth and realistic, I make sure things get done," DeVito said.

"I am the dreamer, Thomas brings things back to Earth. The push and pull is what makes the business work," Moccia said.

DeVito is vice president while Moccia is president. How did these two ambitious best friends determine who would play second fiddle?

"We drew sticks," said DeVito with a laugh.

Their business now has seven employees.

But don't let their youthfulness fool you.

"We are young and hungry and we are looking at all the new technology and new ideas in graphic design," Moccia said.

"We have a great staff and these things combined with the fact that we are relentless is what makes our business successful."