Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Gregory.
Hi Joy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After 18 years in Radio Broadcasting (Portland, Eugene, Bend, Monterey CA) I started my second career as a Graphic Designer in 2007.
As a single mom, my 5 year old son and I moved from Eugene to Lincoln City in 2010 where I started producing ads for the local newspaper and volunteer designing for the Oregon Coast Community College Foundation.
In 2011 John LoBello, owner/operator of Quality Printing, serving Lincoln City since 1981, hired me as the sole Graphic Designer. With classic rock as our daily soundtrack and the smell of ink in the air I felt like I had finally found “my place” in the world.
In 2016 John decided to put the business up for sale and I started to contemplate what my next chapter would be. For the next 6 years he waited for the right buyer, and I dreaded the inevitable change that comes with new ownership. Then in 2023 John announced he had finally found the “perfect” buyer…me. It was me. I was his “perfect” buyer. This news came as a complete shock to me, but John had a plan, had worked out all the details, and even though I had never owned or run a business before -and had zero inclination to do so- this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass by. So at the end of 2023 I bought Quality Printing Service.
Owning a business is hard. I was right to avoid it for as long as I did. But you know what? Everything has worked out. It’s all about the employees, really. If you have a great team there’s no limit to what you can achieve, and I have the BEST people working here.
At the end of 2025 we opened a second business at Quality Printing. Quality Post & Ship offers a much needed shipping center right in downtown Lincoln City where anyone can drop off online returns, and ship packages with UPS, FedEx and USPS. We also rent mailboxes so folks can get packages delivered here and not have to worry about “porch pirates”. We help visitors from all over mail their beach treasures back home so they don’t have to travel with them, and for part-time residents we provide a secure place to receive their packages and mail when they’re out of town.
And that brings us to now. Busier than ever, I often feel like I’m running to stand still. But Lincoln City residents are wonderfully kind and supportive and when we are able to help someone with something they need, be it business cards or building plans, shipping a package across country or simply scanning in a return package, I’m really glad we’re still here, serving Lincoln City for 45 years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My parents owned a heavy construction business so much of my childhood was spent “at the office” and I vowed then that I would never own my own business. It’s too much work!
And so here I am, eating my words. And I was right about all the work. It was a rough start for me. Luckily I got involved with the Oregon Coast Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC), was assigned a mentor with the patience of a saint, and was able to sort of muddle through the first year. I was overwhelmed, to understate it. My finances were a mess, my quickbooks categories were hopelessly mixed up, and I was white-knuckling it every month when rent came due.
My first lucky break came in March of 2025 when I hired Elaine, an ex business owner and Quickbooks whiz with an obsession for paying down debt, and scheduling my finances to the minute. Because of Elaine’s hard work I’ve been able to stay current with my vendors. Elaine has been instrumental in getting Quality Post & Ship up and running and she manages it’s day-to-day operation.
In October of 2025 I hired Chris to manage the bindery department. He knows how to operate and, importantly, fix the myriad of equipment that keeps the print shop running, and customers love him.
As a team I feel we are unstoppable!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are about community. Proud to be serving Lincoln City and the central Oregon coast for 45 years. We know our customers by name, and they know they can trust us with their needs.
Businesses come to Quality Printing for everything from business forms and envelopes to banners and promotional products (we can put your logo on anything!), and families come to us for wedding invitations, birth announcements, celebration of life keepsake flyers, large format posters and more.
And Quality Post & Ship has become a hub for convenient package drop off and shipping. Need postage but don’t want to wait in line at the post office? We can help with that. Want to check pricing before deciding on which shipping carrier to use? We can help with that, too. We help you get ship done!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Customer service is the most important thing, really. Being able to adapt to individual customer needs, to customize their experience based on their communicated goals. This applies to both businesses.
For Quality Printing, with graphic design I am able to bring an idea to life. To take someone’s visualization from concept to bespoke printed material they can be proud of.
For Quality Post & Ship we’re able to assist customers with shipping everything from fine china and vacation souvenirs to Amazon return drop offs. Every day is different at Quality.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.qualityprintship.com
