Market Place
Newcomer BTX resells used telecom equipment
By Michelle C. Crowe
Around the bend in the industrial section of Salmar Avenue is a new-to-Campbell company with a different kind of calling, Business Telephone eXchange, Inc. Also known as BTX, the firm is located at 535 Salmar Ave., Unit B, between Amity Furniture and Creative Drinks, Inc. Its prior location was in San Jose. Co-owned by Ken Keegan and Randy Wensmann, BTX specializes in the purchase and resale of used (and sometimes new) business telephones, systems, voice mail, and networking and other telecommunications equipment.
Certainly a logical niche in Silicon Valley's economically downturned market, the more unusual aspect of this entity is its focus on charitable giving. In addition to the purchase of telecom equipment, BTX also offers a way for firms to donate excess telephone and computer networking equipment for a legitimate tax write-off of up to $5,000 per lot donated.
Simply call the firm and they will not only pick up the equipment but also provide a donation letter from a 503-C registered nonprofit organization. Two organizations they regularly work with are the Vanished Children's Alliance and the Child Abuse Council.
The company specializes in brands that include AT&T, Aspect, ComDial, Lucent, NEC, Nortel, Panasonic USA and Toshiba.
"There's a lot of demand for Nortel and Lucent, but we sell a lot of small systems, too. The business is pretty much all local, throughout the Bay Area and evenly spread through Los Gatos, San Jose, Campbell and San Francisco," says Keegan. "It's an interesting time for us, with so many people going out of business. Right now we're paying pennies on the dollar for big, expensive systems, and new clients are able to buy them from us at great prices."
The team that runs the two-year-old business boasts 10 years' experience in the business.
Although BTX has operated in Campbell for about six months, they just installed a prominent new sign at the beginning of May, which seems to be helping drive up business.
Business Telephone eXchange, Inc. can be reached at 408.374.8727 or 800.BTX.0299 (800.289.0299); or via e-mail at info@btxchange.com.
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Campbell, California
