JRBOTAS

In 1995, José Ricardo Botas founded JRBotas with the aim of addressing the lack of a sales, after-sales and technical assistance service in the area of sanitary equipment. It became a family business. And to this day, it has the same managing director. Nevertheless, some of his sons have already passed through the company, and in particular Tiago Botas, commercial director, with whom we spoke, who strives to enhance the company and the people with whom he works, giving them autonomy and the tools essential to their functions. He is thinking strategically about the brand’s positioning, «preparing it for challenges and risks, even if they are unpredictable, and making the most of opportunities that arise, such as the flow of foreigners looking to buy homes in Portugal. We have seen sudden changes in the market, cyclical downturns over time, such as COVID-19, the war, increases in the cost of raw materials and energy,» he explains.
JRBotas started out as a small company, based in Lisbon, and, later on expanded to have a warehouse, office and showroom in Alapraia, Estoril. «The business progressed and an office was opened in Monte Estoril; a showroom in Príncipe Real, in Lisbon, which we still have to this day; and last year we opened a showroom in Campo Alegre, in Oporto,» adds the director.

JRBotas has been working with luxury brands in the area of sanitary equipment for 25 years

More than 25 years since its foundation, JRBotas continues to represent brands of great international prestige within the scope of luxury bathrooms. «We overcame a Portuguese economic crisis, important brands we represented ended up closing their doors; a fire in our premises that caused us to lose all our stock, showroom pieces and orders, but we are proud to have managed to overcome all the adversities that have arisen.» And they are also proud to represent leading brands in the industry, whether in innovation or design. «The brand that matters most in our company is, without doubt, Duravit – all its products are developed with internationally renowned designers – and it already has numerous awards.» This is a brand «that at its core has an increased concern for the user’s well-being, valuing water and the quality of the materials used, which means it applies, in all its products and in the manufacturing process itself, mechanisms capable of reducing water use.» But other brands also stand out in the company, such as Fantini, which develops products with world-renowned designers and «is concerned about water, all products respect the highest international consumer protection standards.»

The family business focuses on innovation and today, in partnerships with Portuguese factories, «JRBotas can already transform some of its products into whatever the customer requires, even creating bespoke furniture, allowing the customer greater freedom when it comes to choosing and creating unique pieces.» In the showroom in Lisbon they have a wider range of complementary items for bathrooms and decoration, such as towels, soap, diffusers, plates, lamps, and much more.
In the near future, the company’s goal is to expand the showroom in Oporto and open in the Algarve. «We intend to continue working in the promotion of excellent brands. Bathrooms as spaces that are increasingly valued and people are looking for and investing more in wellness spaces,» he concludes.