The Plesser’s crew gathers before the home they helped build with Habitat for Humanity.

Giving back is part of the culture at Plesser’s Appliances 

By Andy Kriege, YSN

Plesser’s Appliances, a member of AVB’s Northeast affiliate Intercounty Appliance Cooperative, has been serving the Long Island, N.Y. community since 1919.

But that service extends well beyond selling and installing premium TVs and home appliances, as demonstrated earlier this month. That’s when the Babylon-based dealer partnered with Habitat for Humanity to support a construction project in nearby Riverhead. A team of Plesser’s employees spent a day pitching in at the construction site as part of an annual weeklong event under the volunteer group’s Women Build program

Thanks to the program and the hard work of volunteers like the Plesser’s team, a local family in need will soon have a brand new home to move into.

Marketing Manager Gina Culkin was one of nine staffers from the Plesser’s corporate office who participated in the build. “We are always looking to give back to the local community and create a strong sense of pride here at Plesser’s,” she said. “This event was special because not only were we able to help Habitat work on a home for a worthy family, but we also had the opportunity to do some quality teambuilding with our staff. Being able to give back and know that we made a difference made for a real feel-good day.”

The Plesser’s team worked throughout the house but was primarily assigned to interior painting, where they fine tuned their skills on the job. “We learned different techniques to help us paint better and how to effectively roll on a coat of paint,” Culkin said. “One of the more challenging parts was doing the edging and having a steady hand.”

The staffers also had the special privilege of signing their names and adding a personal message inside an interior wall. “Maybe in the future the family will uncover our note,” Culkin said. “That would be truly special.” 

Plesser’s was founded 104 years ago by Sam Plesser and acquired in 1989 by brothers Marc and Alan Howard, who continue to embrace the founder’s credo of “Treat the customer with respect and offer them the best prices, products and support available.” They also plan on working with Habitat for Humanity in the future, and making it an annual volunteer event for their employees. 

“We feel very strongly about supporting our community; it’s an important part of our company,” said Marc Howard, who serves as president/CEO. “It was so vital to us that in 2017, we decided to form the Plesser’s Charity Foundation to help support local charities on Long Island and beyond.”

Since then the company has hosted five annual golf outings that raised over $200,000 for area causes, although providing a new home for a family is priceless.

YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers. 

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