POLAND — Quinlan “Quinn” Bulick got his start in the beef jerky business at the age of 6.

His mom works for a company that sells jerky, and he always wanted to be a part of it.

“He definitely knows the business,” his mom, Amy Bulick, said.

That’s why, when he went to his parents earlier this year and said he wanted to start his own company, they got right behind him. Bulick, 17, recently graduated from Poland Seminary High School, where he was one of six valedictorians. He transferred his junior year to Poland from Crestview Local Schools, where he skipped fifth grade because of good grades.

His mom said he’s always been “very driven” and a hard worker, and dad, George, called him “very logical.”

His company, Mighty Quinn Jerky, sells four flavors of jerky. A 2.5-ounce bag retails for $8. Four flavors of Smokie Bites also are available, and retail at $8 for a 4-ounce bag.

Jerky flavors include Smokewood Mild, Golden Heat, Pioneer Prime Rib and Quinn’s Signature. Bites flavors include Tender Teriyaki, Honey, Pioneer Prime Rib and Quinn’s Signature.

Bulick has six other employees who are paid an hourly wage. He serves as president and said he’s seen a daily increase in sales since the February launch.

The product is made at Weaver Meats in Painesville, but Bulick owns the recipes. He shares a small office and distribution space with his mom on North Lima Road, but Bulick said he tries to keep his company separate from hers.

Amy Bulick has owned Tommy’s Jerky for 11 years, but prior to that, she worked in its sales department. She said her son was involved from the time he was young, but that he was clear he wanted to start his own venture.

Her business focuses on bigger bags of jerky, sold at a higher price and available at festivals and events.

“I started Mighty Quinn because I wanted the same, high-quality product at a more affordable price, offered in a retail space,” he said.

Tommy’s Jerky can’t compete in the commercial market because of contracts it has with stores, Amy said.

Mighty Quinn’s sales strategy allows it to be more competitive, and use of social media means the product often appeals to a younger crowd, his mom said.

Bulick said he’s always looking for partners to carry his product, and he gets the word out by selling at festivals and other events.

His jerky is available at Sami’s Quick Stop in Poland, Village Marketplace in Jefferson and at http://www.mightyquinnjerky.com.

His biggest deal so far has been with ABL Wholesale in Columbiana, which placed an order of Mighty Quinn for 3,000 units, which they supply to 1,300 stores they service.

Bulick will attend John Carroll University in the fall and plans to study sales engineering through its engineering physics program.

He has two sisters, Sydney, 16, and Elly, 13. Both help with his business on occasion, but are more active with his mom’s business, he said.

George Bulick is founder and president of the Greenville, Pa.-based Advanced Power & Energy, which focuses on alternative energy solutions, including electric vehicle charging stations.

Quinn Bulick, who played four years of soccer and was on the robotics team at school, said he wanted his business to stand on its own but that his parents have definitely had an influence on it.

“It’s a great support system, having two parents who own businesses,” he added.

Friend and fellow graduate Josh Macejko, 18, helps with different aspects of the business, including packing orders at the distribution center.

“We work as a team,” Quinn Bulick said, adding the two plan to continue operating the business while away at college. Macejko will attend Youngstown State University. Their plan is to eventually take it national, he added.

Bulick’s parents said they’re pleased with how quickly their son’s business has taken off and they’ll be there to support him if he needs it, though he rarely asks.

“We wanted this to be a true business for him,” Amy Bulick said. “He really built this from the ground up.”