Old License Plates a Gold Mine for Villanova Student

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Michael Tufankjian in the Villanova bookstore with one of his pillow print designs
Image via Michael Tufankjian
Michael Tufankjian in the Villanova bookstore with one of his pillow print designs

Old license plates are getting a second life at License Plate Designs beyond throwing them away or hanging them on a basement or garage wall.

Villanova University student Michael Tufankjian, owner of License Plate Designs, turns images of cut-out, individual license plates and creates pillow designs with the names of schools, mascots, or names of towns, writes Hannah Green and Ryan Mulligan for Philadelphia Business Journal.

The concept started in high school when he saw old license plates being thrown away at his family’s car dealership.

“I noticed you could spell out different names, numbers, anything of the variety with these. It was sort of a lightbulb moment for me that I could start a business from doing something like this and I’m sure other people would be interested in customizing them,” Tufankjian said.

License Plate Designs now sells its products in over 10 retail stores, including stores at Babson University, Boston College, Villanova, Stanford University, and Purdue University.

Tufankjian has watched revenue grow more than 102 percent and believes the business can expand into campus bookstores regionally and across the country, especially now that he’s partnered with Follett, an educational products company.

Read more about this unique design business at Philadelphia Business Journal.

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