Small-space appliance manufacturer Pinnacle Appliances is hoping to clean up on the RV market.
It’s all about making life better, says Atul Vir.
Vir, president of Pinnacle Appliances and an ardent RVer, is accustomed to efficiency and making the most of small spaces. It’s an appreciation he developed while living in an apartment in the UK, where space is very much a luxury.
In his UK days, Vir and his family became accustomed to using smaller appliances that fit in confined spaces. After moving to North America and finding it almost impossible to find a combination washer-dryer like he had in the UK, the enterprising engineer saw opportunity and pounced.
Almost 20 years later, Vir’s Pinnacle Appliances has become a leading supplier of compact appliances, with a focus on the RV market. “The company began by selling compact washer-dryer combination units to the American market,” says Vir. “We entered the RV industry in 2008 when we acquired Majestic appliances. They had been selling our products for years, then the owner began having some health problems and wanted to sell the business. It was a perfect fit.”
Right on the heels of that acquisition, American banks began to implode as the Great Recession took hold. Although the entire RV industry took a beating through the downturn, Pinnacle found its products were unique enough that it weathered the storm.
Part of that resiliency lies in the unique nature of its products. The holder of 16 patents, Vir says that personal experience living in small spaces, and spending time in RVs on personal trips, has given him insight into what RVers expect. “Every product we make is unique in some way,” says Vir. His Super Combo combination washer-dryer, for example, can be removed from the RV and used in residential applications as well. The convertible drying feature which allows the machine to be used in places that allow venting drying as well as places where venting is not available. In this case, drying is done through condensing technology, a water cooled system that purges hot air through the drain. This option is available at the touch of a button, an invention available for the first time on a laundry appliance anywhere in the world. “Nothing else on the market has that ability,” he says. “When you deliver unique features that provide real value, the product stands out in the market.”
Although washer-dryer combos are the core of Pinnacle’s business today, Vir says the company is looking to build on its success and expand into other areas, such as dishwashers. “As the market for large motorhomes and fifth wheels recovers, this is an area of interest.”
Pinnacle believes in “quality, innovative appliances,” notes Vir. As the company celebrates its 19th year in business, it is well positioned to take its business forward and grow market share.
