BTV is a mailbox and safe manufacturing company whose origins date back to September 1962. At that time, the company's main activity focused on manufacturing mailboxes for homes and metalwork. In January 1970, it specialized in a wide range of mailboxes, and in 1974, BTV reached a production milestone of 400.000 mailboxes. That same year, a new product was introduced to the manufacturing line: the home safe. In 1978, BTV invented the digital electronic safe, and in 1995, BTV established a presence in Mexico. In 1998, through a joint venture, BTV expanded to Hazhow, China.
Jesús Villaverde, the CEO and owner of the company, describes its history and beginnings. “We started on José Pellicer Street in Zaragoza, manufacturing mailboxes for buildings in new homes and towns with more than 50.000 inhabitants. Eight years later, the company specialized in decorative mailboxes, producing a wide range of products. At that time, there were more than 50 manufacturers, although two controlled 70% of production. Today, BTV has the widest range of mailboxes and a 50% market share.”
The most pressing problems BTV has faced haven't been its competitors. "Our biggest enemy has been the different and outdated laws regarding mail delivery in the various countries where we've shipped our goods. France, with its laws, complicates market entry, although its strict regulations ensure fast and secure delivery. On the other hand, there are countries like those in Latin America where there aren't even mailboxes in homes, and delivery services don't guarantee the delivery date or even the delivery of mail itself. Spain hasn't quite managed to adapt something as important as mail delivery to the other national advancements of the last twenty years."
BTV's export vocation began in the closest countries: "We were the first Spanish manufacturers to export our aluminum mailboxes to Germany, later we expanded exports to Italy, France, Portugal, the rest of Europe and the United States. Since then, through our export department, we have sold on all five continents."
BTV has not focused its exports solely on shipping goods, but has also made a concerted effort to establish a presence in other markets by making significant investments. "In 1995, we opened our Mexican company with 60 employees to serve North America, the Caribbean, and South America. Three years ago, through a joint venture, we established ourselves in the People's Republic of China, in the city of Hazhow, controlling sixty percent of the company. This allows us to cover sales in Asia, and together with our parent company located in Zaragoza, we provide global sales coverage for our product."
BTV's ambitions don't end with what any business owner would consider a satisfactory sales target. "We are evaluating expansion into countries that have traditionally faced significant challenges due to their political situations. We are considering establishing a new factory in countries opting to join the EU, with the Czech Republic and Hungary being of particular interest."
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