EDITOR’S NOTE: Now in its 14th year, the RVBusiness Top 50 program celebrates those North American RV dealerships that, in the eyes of an esteemed panel of independent judges, best exemplifies dealer excellence in customer and community service. Winning dealers will be recognized during a presentation Nov. 13 during the RV Dealers Convention/Expo at Paris Las Vegas.
The Top 50 program is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of the following organizations: Airxcel Inc., Brown & Brown Insurance, Cummins Inc., GE Appliances, Genesis Products, Northpoint Commercial Finance, NTP-STAG, Performance Brokerage Services, Protective Asset Protection, RV Trader, and Wells Fargo.
RVBusiness will publish a profile of each Top 50 sponsor leading up to the RV Dealers Convention/Expo.
GE Appliances is a mainstay in the appliances industry, but the company is not content to rest on its laurels—particularly in the RV market, where it is introducing many new products, according to Jennifer Lett, director of marketing for GE Appliances Recreational Living.
Lett says GE Appliances has challenged its engineers to bring the company’s expertise in innovation to its RV appliances, particularly in the cooking segment.
“We’ve created products that give users the same trusted performance they are used to from their home appliances. You shouldn’t have to hack your oven with workarounds just to make a batch of cookies when you are on the road,” she says, adding, “Baking should be easy and convenient, not a game of trial and error just because you are mobile.”
Early this year, the company introduced a line of push-to-ignite, electric ignition GE Profile gas ranges.
“What we love about this product is that it’s so easy to use, because it works like ranges you find in your own kitchen,” she says. “Push one button, hold it until the flame is sensed and then it lights. The range features great performance all around and it is super easy to use.”
Lett also touts the company’s launch of a 12-volt refrigerator with a bottom freezer, which is uncommon in the RV market but very popular in homes. These new products are available in stainless steel, black glass and stainless glass finishes.
Mike Boyer, product management director for GE Appliances, Recreational Living, says dealers should soon expect to see several new RV-related products from the company. He points to the anticipated launch of new tankless water heaters and an RV furnace, as well as the fairly recent launch of tank water heaters and low-profile air conditioners.
All of those RV products have the same quality engineered into them that the company is known for among its residential brands, he adds.
“We run a list of tests on our products that far exceed what competitors may do, so it takes us a little longer, sometimes, to introduce new products, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be the right move for the OE, for the dealer and for the RV consumer, because these are quality products that are going to hold up and be safe,” he says.
To make sure that its products continue to perform well after the sale, Boyer says GE has invested heavily in service support for customers and dealers, including in-person and online technician training.
He adds that GE Appliances RV business benefits from the company’s overall appliances operation, based in Louisville, Kentucky, which is home to five manufacturing plants on a massive 750-acre campus.
Lett says GE Appliances is a proud sponsor of the RVBusiness Top 50 Dealer Awards because dealerships are key to GE Appliances’ overall efforts to be successful. She says, “Consumers depend on dealers as part of a trusted relationship. We want to be a partner in their success and continue to foster our support of this industry.”
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