Meet the Owner: Alan Howard of Plesser's

Plesser's is a hard-to-miss place in Babylon Village – its large storefront gleaming at the intersection of Deer Park Avenue and Main Street, appliances in windows and outside on display and, not to mention, the famous statue of Nipper the RCA mascot standing near the doorway.

With all the local attention, it's hard to fathom that Plesser's is known from coast-to-coast in the United States, but it is – especially after being featured daily on CBS' game show "The Price Is Right" and several other news interviews.

"Watching the business grow has been the best part," said co-owner Alan Howard, a Massapequa Park native who has owned the East Main Street appliance store since 1994. "Making your own decisions that shape your future – it's all about risk and reward. You need to have a balance of that... I have learned over the years that change is a good thing and you need to keep evolving and reinventing yourself."

After working in the appliance business with his father at their own small appliance store called Howard's Appliances, Howard bought the store with his brother Marc from a friend of his father's – Morty Plesser, a member of the original family that owned the appliance store.

Mr. Plesser had been looking to sell, but his children had little interest in continuing the business. Howard, then living in Florida, returned to Long Island with a suitcase and $400 in his pocket, and joined his brother Marc who purchased the Plesser's storefront two years earlier.

In the years since the purchase, Plesser's has expanded from its original footprints and now boasts a two-floor showroom, large staff and media attention from various outlets.

In the last few years, Plesser's has been gaining national attention as a supplier for the CBS daytime game show "The Price Is Right." In April 2012, the retailer was where a company makes "extreme fish tanks" for their customers; Plesser's had a custom-built, see-through refrigerator fish tank that now sits proudly at the main entrance. Howard himself has appeared on CNN and in other media outlets, including Patch.

"The media attention we have gotten over the years for various reasons has been fun but it has never steered us off course," Howard said. "Our business rule of slow and steady still holds true today. We have grown steadily over the years while many competitors have gone out of business."

He noted the media has helped the business grow, especially constantly showing up on a prime time game show – and there might be more to come.

"It has been a great opportunity for us to showcase the Plessers.com brand for a national audience," Howard said. The fridge tank built by Animal Planet's show tanked is still a big draw for customers today. I am currently working on a nationally syndicated show that will showcase products supplied by Plesser's."

While the company continues to grow by leaps and bounds, Howard said his heart remains in Babylon Village with the original storefront.

"We owe a lot of our success to the people of Babylon Village who supported us and continue to support us over the years," he said. "We wouldn't be as big a success without them. Many customers in the early years put there trust in a small mom and pop appliance store run by two guys in their twenties... although we have had conversations many times about moving to a larger store and having our own parking lot, we still feel Plesser's belongs in the village."

Just as Plesser's has become a staple in Babylon Village, Howard said he felt Babylon Village was really in the heart of what has made Plesser's so successful – a small-time type shop with a nationally competitive brand-name and pricing.

"What is there not to love about the village," he asked rhetorically. "It's like living in Mayberry. I walk to work and can wave or say hello to over 20 people on the way in – it's a small, tight-nit community with great people living in it... I don't think you can find what we have here in many places anymore. I have many customers who come here for the first time from all over Long Island and they all say the same thing. From the great restaurants to the assortment of places to shop, we really have it all in walking distance."

He added: "We have been here since 1955 and plan on being here for many years to come."