TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — What started as a way to participate in his sister's recycled art store has grown into an 18-year business for Tucson artist Levi Koenen. His shop, The Lost Highway Sign Company, creates custom signs, lamps, tables, keychains, and magnetic bottle openers from recycled license plates, wood, soda tabs, and old car parts.
Koenen, a former P.E. teacher, said the business grew from a simple realization about his own skills.
"It started because my sister owns Pop Cycle down on 4th Avenue, which is a recycled art store, and I wanted to be a part of it," Koenen said. "And I can't paint or draw a picture to save my life, but I've always been able to weld and do tool and textile stuff."
More than 30,000 license plates sit in his garage workshop, organized by letter after being cut. The system makes it easier to pull pieces for each order, since almost every sign is custom-made.
"So then I'll lay these out. Like these are all gonna say The Refreshments for Roger Clyne's band. So I'll put them in stacks and then I'll bring them to the table and I'll build them," Koenen said.
His custom work has reached some high-profile customers. Koenen has made pieces for Snoop Dogg, Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Oprah, and University of Arizona players, among others.
KGUN 9's meteorolgist April Madison even purchased one for her son that says "Boomer Sooner."
"First of all, the talent, that the fact that he can even do, I would never even think to be able to do something like this. But the fact that he knew me and my family and my son well enough to know that not only does he like football and he was playing football at the time, but he's a huge Oklahoma Sooners fan and for him to bring out and be like, 'Hey, I made this, you know, for your son,' was pretty awesome," Madison said.
For Koenen, being his own boss, being able to try new things with his work, and making people happy is what keeps him going.
"When you have a job that you love, it's fun to be out here and to be doing stuff and creating things, so it makes it a lot easier," Koenen said.
His 15-year-old son also gets to work alongside him.
"He helps me and he's taking welding in high school so that he can learn how to weld and make the robots and stuff like that as well," Koenen added.
The business has proven financially successful as well. Koenen said his sales have ranged significantly from year to year.
"My worst year was $129,000 other than, uh, COVID, and then my best year I think I did $289,000 in sales," Koenen said.
His son even gets a piece of the pie.
"My son goes and helps me sell at different shows. We do a show in Milwaukee in the summer and that's my biggest show of the year. It's called Summerfest, and they have 850 bands in 9 days. I take equipment so we can make custom orders while we're there, and my son makes tips, and he makes a lot of money making tips. Two years ago he made $3,200 in tips, and last year he made $2,400 in tips at 13 and 14 years old."
Koenen teaches his son how to be responsible with his money too.
"So I make him invest half of it, and then the other half he can buy Pokemon cards or whatever he wants to buy," Koenen said.
Koenen says he's cut up over 800,000 license plates in the 18 years. He gets them from scrap yards, junkyards, and from a whole network of license plate collectors and dealers all across the country.
Pricing for his signs starts at $36 for three letters, increasing by $2 per letter. Adding an image costs an additional $6.
Koenen's pieces are available in about 120 stores across the U.S. He will also be at the upcoming Fourth Avenue Street Fair.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
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