Our History

From family-run business to international reality.


Today Bft operates all over the world, with 20 branches and over 530 distributors in more than 120 countries.
We were founded in 1981 in Thiene, with the vocation: being available to our customers at all times, oriented towards those who work with our products.
A spirit that immediately allowed us to win the loyalty of those working in the installation and automation world.
The natural evolution was the acquisition of our strongest customers, and the opening of the first branch in Germany in 2002, which for us was the first step towards penetrating the local market and understanding the many facets of every country.
From that moment on, always focusing on full customer satisfaction, we began to diversify our services to suit every different culture.
Since 2004 we have been part of the Somfy group: this has given us the boost necessary to gain significant market shares and create a structured distribution network. A radical change that has determined the transition from passage from family-run business to small multinational.
Today the management of our international distribution network is divided up between the branches and the direct distributors.
In 2004 there were only three foreign companies, a number that was to increase tenfold in less than a decade.
For us, the passing of the 100 million turnover mark in 2012-2013 is just a step along the way.

1981

Bft in Thiene

Creation of the Bft company in Thiene (VI).

1982

E5

Compact mechanical operator with articulated arm.

1984

LEM

Sturdy and reliable sliding operator.

1989

FL50

The first photocell to use the Fresnel lens.

1992

SUB

Monoblock in-ground hydraulic operator.

1994

MOOVI GET

The first Bft automatic door.

1996

New premises in Schio

Move to the new premises in Schio (VI).

1997

PROTON

The first electromechanical motor, precursor of the Phobos series.

1999

ROLLING CODE

An encoding system that manages remote control transmissions in complete safety, preventing any kind of external violation.

2000

SUPER

Control unit with fully digital serial adjustment based on an LCD.

DISPLAY

The first integrated display for automated systems that facilitates direct programming and expands the options available for monitoring parameters.

2001

Extension of the warehouse

First large-scale extension of the warehouse in Schio (VI).

2002

The branch in Germany

The branch in Germany is opened.

2003

French branches

New organisation with merger of the French branches.

2004

Somfy

Entry into Somfy group.

The branch in Spain

The branch in Spain is opened.

The branch of the North United Kingdom

The branch of the North United Kingdom is opened.

2005

The branch in Belgium

The branch in Belgium is opened.

The branch in Adria

The branch in Adria is opened.

2006

Sacs

Acquisition of SACS.

The branch in Poland

The branch in Poland is opened.

The branch in America

The branch in America is opened.

FASTNET

Simplified cabling system with the use of only 2 cables, allowing connection of all the devices to the control unit.

2007

The branch in Portugal

The branch in Portugal is opened.

The branch of the Sud United Kingdom

The branch of the Sud United Kingdom is opened.

2008

O&O

Acquisition of the company.

The branch in Australia

The branch in Australia is opened.

The branch in Czech Republic

The branch in Czech Republic is opened.

ER-READY

Microprocessor encoding system allowing the direct cloning of remote controls.

AURA NEA

"ANPR" automatic number-plate reading system able to read registered car number-plates at the car park entry and exit without having to show anything at the column.

2009

New warehouse in Schio

A new warehouse used for logistics is acquired near the factory in Schio.

The branch in Russia

The branch in Russia is opened.

ERMES

Automatic communication system equipped with operator, allowing the automatic management of notification of alarms and events detected by a parking system, to mobile phones or email addresses.

2010

The branch in Turkey

The branch in Turkey is opened.

The branch in Ireland

The branch in Ireland is opened.

D-TRACK

An intelligent torque management system.

2011

The branch in China

The branch in China is opened.

U-LINK

A wireless system for simplified maintenance and management of installations.

B-EBA SYMBIAN

The first wireless gateway that allows bidirectional communication with an external network.

U-SDK

The software development kit designed to enable Bft automations to be controlled by third-party BMS systems.

FLX

(Patented in 2009), photoelectric cells incorporating blinkers.

2012

The branch in Middle East

The branch in Middle East is opened.

AURA TUVA

Medium-range passive UHF tag reading system integrated in a parking system: allows motorists provided with the special tag sticker on the windscreen to enter and exit the car park without having to show anything at the entry column.

U-Base

Remote control (B-EBA TCP-IP required) and service management for Bft automated systems.

2013

The branch in New Zeland

The branch in New Zeland is opened.

BLUE ENTRY

Smartphone applications allowing the management of gates with a touch on the display.

INDUCTIVE ENCODER

Inductive encoder of all Maxima Ultra barriers with contactless technology for obstacle detection, ensuring immediate reversal of bar movement.

INVERTER

Introduction of the frequency Inverter on Maxima Ultra automatic barriers, ensuring outstanding performance and extremely quiet operation.

THEA

New photocell with Thea integrated flashing light, exclusive Bft patent.

2014

The branch in Baltic

The branch in Baltic is opened.

Certification

IWA14-1:2013 V/7200(N3C)/80/90 antiterrorism certification of the X-PAS B 330/1200 bollard complete with EFO system able to ensure rapid rising of the shaft (3 times faster than the standard opening time).

AXXEDO

Access control system thanks to which, operators can enable customers to access a gate in their car parks:by typing in the proximity reader the code read in the ticket, customers can access restricted areas such as service areas or the automatic pay station area.

U-LINK

Technological platform for maintenance and simplified management of the installations.

X-PASS

The anti-terrorism bollards tested and certified to the highest safety standards (equivalent to K12 and K14 standards in the US).

2015

The new Bft

The new Bft: a new organisation allowing a greater focus on product development based on the application context.

The branch in India

The branch in India is opened.

2017

Bft Automatech Italy

Creation of the new distribution network Bft Automatech Italia.

PHEBE BT A ULTRA

With MEMS technology, in anticipation of the expected patent for the virtual AUTOSET limit switch.

B-EBA WI-FI

Thanks to which Bft has become the first company to offer an intelligent and “updatable” product. All U-Link operators can now connect directly to the router without the need for a control unit.