Orange County Choppers (OCC) is a motorcycle manufacturer and lifestyle brand company based in Orange County, New York, that was founded in 1999 by Paul Teutul Sr. The company was featured on the reality TV show "American Chopper," which debuted in September 2002 on the Discovery Channel. Heres what happened to OCC:
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Financial Struggles: OCC was hit hard by the Great Recession of the late 2000s, which caused corporate clients to cut back on extravagant bikes and regular consumers to reduce excess spending. Shortly before the end of the original "American Chopper" series, OCC was no longer able to afford its sprawling 92,000 square foot headquarters and surrendered it to the mortgage lender. However, the company continued to occupy part of the building on a lease.
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Reality Show Comeback: Before too long, OCC was once again the subject of a reality show called "Orange County Choppers" on Country Music Television (CMT) .
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COVID-19 Pandemic: The COVID-19 pandemic caused OCC to be in dire financial straits after the core motorcycle-building business closed in March 2020, and the retail merchandising arm also suffered from not being able to ship products internationally.
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Move to Florida: In 2018, Paul Teutul Sr. filed for bankruptcy and moved to Florida, relocating the operations of Orange County Choppers to the Sunshine State as well. In 2021, he opened the OCC Roadhouse and Museum in Clearwater, which is a restaurant, concert venue, and museum.
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Current Status: Paul Teutul Sr. continues to run all things Orange County Chopper, including a recently run 2023 Invitational Bike Show. Paul Teutul Jr. founded his own design firm, worked on various projects, and recently started PJD ELECTRIC. Mikey opened an art gallery and started a company called FarQueue LLC, dealing in Pasta Sauces. Vinnie left OCC in 2007 to start his own motorcycle shop called VForce Customs in Rock Tavern, New York.
