But Dave Tuomisto is taking it to a higher level. He's recycling part of a World War II-era steel mill.

Tuomisto, owner of Timpanogos Harley-Davidson, is using pieces of Geneva Steel - oak doors from the plant's Administration Building, lamps from the mill's rail yards, an 11,000-pound water tank - to construct what he calls a "Harley-Davidson resort."

He and General Manager Rick Story hope the site along I-15 off Exit 273 (Lindon-Orem 1600 North) will become a Utah County landmark.

"You can look at quilts at Thanksgiving Point or see fish swim at Cabela's," Tuomisto said, "or you can see all of Utah's industrial history in one building here."

Tuomisto said that as the area loses its factories and industrial space, it is important to remember the contributions Geneva and other plants have made.

He said there are a lot of people - his family comes to mind - who came to Utah because of Geneva Steel. Tuomisto's grandfather was a Geneva Steel worker, as was his grandmother, who pitched in at the plant during World War II.

Tuomisto's journey into the motorcycle business started in the kitchens of Mexican restaurants. He is the founder of the Bajio Grill chain.

After selling the business, he decided to show his thanks to some of his helpers by buying them Harley-Davidson motorcycles. That's when he and Story, a former Geneva Steel worker who managed Timpanogos Harley-Davidson, got together.

Said Story: "He told me that if my owner ever wanted to sell the dealership, he was interested."

It turns out, the owner was looking to sell, and Tuomisto bought the place in 2006. At that time, the dealership had lackluster sales numbers. But Tuomisto, drawing on his restaurant-marketing experience, pushed the dealership's market share to 40 percent, up from 20.9 percent two years before.

However, the company quickly outgrew its 10,000-square-foot Orem shop.

The new dealership on 6 acres will offer more than just more room to sell and fix "hogs" when its opens on July 25. There will be a safety track out back for customers to take driving lessons from retired police officers, a classroom furnished with recliners and a lounge with large-screen televisions showing Doppler-radar weather reports and videos from Harley riders showing their favorite rides.

And then there's Marley's, the restaurant Tuomisto is opening in the shop. He said it will offer "gourmet Sliders," an upscale version of the famous White Castle hamburgers.

But it is the industrial decor of the building that catches the eye.

There's no attempt to make it look fresh and new. The steel trusses and plates still have the patina of exposure on them, and the floorboards have the rough look of heavy traffic.

But getting the material was a bit of a challenge.

Tuomisto had to race demolition crews who only saw Geneva as a source of raw material that could be sold - not as historical artifacts. In some cases, they would give him three or four days to take what he could before the cutting torches were fired up.

Story said the shop has already gotten high marks from Willie Davidson, Harley-Davidson's vice president of styling and a grandson of one of the founders.

"He said, 'We're going to have to make cooler bikes to go with this.' "

dmeyers@sltrib.com