In 2010, Amber and Basar Sahbudak founded Ocean Movers, beginning their journey as business owners with a mission to serve. With their first daughter on the way, Amber and Basar decided to take a bold step, leaving their previous work to build the foundations for a life of freedom, flexibility, and community advocacy.

Prior to founding Ocean Movers, Amber worked for a large-scale produce farm, procuring contracts with grocery stores up and down the East Coast. Her work required frequent travel to places from Florida to Virginia.

“When we met, got married, and found out we were having our first daughter, I didn't want to put her in daycare,” Amber explains. Basar had worked in the moving industry as a mover for years. He did it while attending college at the University of North Florida, so he knew the moving business. It was a natural fit for us, and opening our own business gave me the flexibility to work but also take care of my children.”

Amber and Basar started with a low-scale operation. They bought a corner desk for their dining room, a laptop, and a moving truck, setting out to lay the groundwork for Ocean Movers. Over the past 14 years, their company has matured tremendously. They now offer full-service moving and storage, have a 10,000-square-foot warehouse, five trucks, and 12-15 employees. The company can move clients locally and across state lines while offering short and long-term storage options. They also offer commercial moving and packing services, as needed. Every one of Ocean Movers’ movers and drivers are permanent employees; they never hire temporary laborers. Each employee has passed a background check and drug screening before officially being welcomed to the team.

Most importantly, Amber and Basar pride themselves on the service they provide. From the moment a client calls to when a job is complete, they can expect top-notch communication and the highest care for their belongings.

“People want to work with us because they know who they are dealing with,” Amber continues. “I do all the scheduling and customer interactions, and Basar manages the movers, so they know who they are dealing with. You call the office and get the people at the top of the totem pole every time.”

Amber and Basar have three kids: Ava (13), Alyssa (11), and Akin (4). They enjoy spending time at the beach and traveling as a family, having visited places like Canada, Mexico, Germany, Turkey, and Belize. But when they aren’t with their family, Amber and Basar are almost certain to be found building their organization and serving their clients.

“This company is like our fourth child,” Amber says proudly. “We've worked very hard to make sure our customers are happy, that we do a great job, and that the people that work for us enjoy coming to work. This is a stressful, labor-intensive job. It's fun, too, so we try to make it the best experience and atmosphere for the people involved."

“The clients and partners that we deal with know our work ethic. They know our business. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into it. We take great pride in our reputation and how we treat our customers. Eighty percent of our business comes from referral and repeat customers, including those referrals from REALTORS®, so we cherish every single relationship."