Plesser's Appliance Gets a Starring Reality TV Role

Plesser’s Appliance is putting brand-new meaning into the definition of getting ‘tanked’ as the village electronics retailer will be featured in an upcoming Animal Plant television program featuring super-sized and incredible aquarium creations.

Just think a fish tank in a full-sized refrigerator and that’s exactly what it’s all about.

It all started when Plesser’s Vice President Alan Howard caught Animal Planet’s Tanked, a new reality series, while flipping through channels one night.

The reality show, which launched last August, tells the story of Wayde King and Brett Raymer and their families’ Acrylic Tank Manufacturing (ATM) business of making very unique fish tanks and aquariums. The company has made tanks for top celebrities, millionaires, and Fortune 500 businesses.

And now Plesser’s ranks on the list of custom builds.

Animal Planet crews were at Plesser’s Saturday morning filming for the episode which is scheduled to air sometime in April. Plesser’s will unveil its unique refrigerator fish tank this week.

“We’re always trying to do something unique and different for the showroom,” said Howard, “as we don’t just want to be an ordinary appliance store.”

So when Howard saw the show about six months ago, he got thinking about putting a fish tank in the store.

The next morning he started thnking of how cool making a fish tank out of a refrigerator might be.

“So I tracked down the show online, sketched out some ideas and sent them to them,” he recalled. He heard back 48 hours later. “They loved the idea,” he said.

He did a Skype interview with producers and sent a refrigerator to Vegas for production. It’s a stainless steel Kitchen Aide model with French doors.

“This will be the only one in the world, the only refrigerator fish tank in existence,” said Howard, adding he has no idea of how the tank looks.

“I’m just as excited as anyone else and can’t wait to see how they designed it,” he said, adding he’s expecting that the lower freezer unit area is likely going to serve as the fish tank pump area. Howard plans to put the fish tank close to the front entrance of the store so that it’s the first thing customers will see when they enter.

This isn’t the first time Plesser’s has been involved in a national television program or even a reality show role. The store’s products have been featured on the Price is Right game show, Unique Whips, a reality show on the world of celebrity car customizing as well as Dear Genevieve, a HGTV home design show.

But it is the first time Howard will be in front of a television camera.

“I’m a bit super excited about that,” he admitted with a smile.