Owner, Orsini’s Appliances; Orsini Property Group; Orsini Enterprises LLC; Perfection Properties LLC
Twitter – @pjorsini
Facebook – PJ Orsini
LinkedIn – PJ Orsini
Instagram – @pjorsini
www.pjorsini.com
www.orsinisappliances.com
PJ Orsini was raised to never be afraid of hard work.
As one of the owners of Orsini’s Appliances in his hometown of Martinsburg, WV, Orsini has spent his life pursuing dreams propelled by his entrepreneurial spirit. “I asked my parents what I wanted to be when I grew up, and they both came up with the same answer: rich,” he says. “I’m not sure how I intended to get there, but I was always geared toward being an entrepreneur. My family has always owned their own businesses, so I followed their lead.”
Orsini has been working as long as he can remember, helping around the house and at small businesses before being drafted as a helper at Orsini’s Appliances. “The most important thing I learned is the ability to know how to work hard,” he says. “That might sound simple enough, but some people don’t understand the difference between having a job and working.”
His career has come full circle now. “I have been at Orsini’s Appliances for approximately 13 years. This is where I intend to grow business and diversify it into other associated industries,” he says. “There aren’t too many projects that intimidate me, and I always catch myself looking for the angle. It’s the entrepreneurial spirit that I can’t turn off.”
Working at a family business differs in terms of perspective, especially as a retailer of appliances with competitors that are national chains. “My greatest success is the growth and sustainability of my family business. The competitive retail environment does not allow for failure. I try to keep the focus simple: We will out-local the nationals and out-national the locals.”
Orsini’s ability to talk business is upheld by the continual success of his ventures, and organization and balance are key. He is a self-proclaimed expert multitasker but also finds time to unplug and assess what’s important. “Time is the only thing I can never get back,” says Orsini. “I choose how to spend my time every day, and once that choice is made, that time is gone forever. I base a lot of decisions on whether it will be an enjoyable experience overall.”
His perspective allows for leisure and service in harmony with his work life. Orsini can’t be found working on Sundays; he spends them pursuing one of his passions: wine. As an avid enthusiast and collector, he is a club member at several vineyards and participates in tastings and furthering his knowledge of the industry. Orsini also counts Blue Lot tailgating at West Virginia University football games as one of his favorite activities and has explored his home state’s outdoors, even navigating the Upper Gauley River and five Class V rapids.
He has developed a reputation as a proponent of community service, serving as the community service chair and a director for the Martinsburg Sunrise Rotary where he organizes fundraisers, events and charitable giving. Additionally, he is a director of Main Street Martinsburg, former co-chair of the Charity Care Fundraiser for the Panhandle Home Health Gala, former director of the Eastern Panhandle Home Builders Association and a professional division member of Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, and he serves on advisory boards for City National Bank and Nationwide East.
“I feel an obligation to give back to the community because they have supported my family business for more than 66 years,” says Orsini. “I focus my time and attention on local causes because I like to be able to directly see where the time, money, effort and passion for a project are going.”
Through working with his family’s business and supporting the community, Orsini’s list of achievements is robust, but ultimately, his aim is simple and straightforward. “I want to leave a family legacy for Martinsburg,” he says. “I would like to create something that will be beneficial for the community for many years to come, something that will be alive and living even after we are gone for people to enjoy.”
What is your favorite…?
Color – Black
Food – Spaghetti
Cartoon Character – Dollar from “Richie Rich”
Ice Cream – Chocolate
Animal – Dog
Book – “Third Circle Theory: Purpose Through Observation”
App – Pandora
Midnight Snack – Cheez-Its
TV Show – “The Sopranos”
Movie – “The Godfather Part II”
Smell – A very tannic red wine
Sport Team – West Virginia University Mountaineers
Car – 1964 Aston Martin DB5
Pet – My Doberman pinscher, Enzo
Place – The beach
By Amy Arnett
Photography by Tracy Toler on location at I-79 Technology Park
