Cal TV Furniture

What began as a one-room operation to repair used television sets has slowly but surely evolved into a multi-million dollar international corporation. The very successful family started their business in 1971 as a partnership formed by brother-in-laws Ernesto Anaya and Ruben Guerrero.

Originally from Mexico, Ernesto and Ruben came to El Paso from California to escape earthquakes and settle near family. Through their business acumen and technical expertise, to included hard work from members of the family, and the financial assistance from the Small Business Administration, Cal TV now has four locations in El Paso as well as four in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

It didn't happen overnight and the road to success was often rocky. Despite the challenges by 1975 the partners had become a full service television and radio repair shop. The operation had grown to two rooms and a basement with no parking. Luckily, they were able to purchase a building one block away and the first Cal TV Sales, Rental and Service store opened in 1979 at 409 S. El Paso Street in Downtown El Paso, Texas.

The business began shifting to new electronics as well as the introduction of appliances such as washers and refrigerators while slowly phasing out used and refurbished electronics that once was considered its core business.

In 1984 Cal TV formalized its business by becoming a corporation and further expanded its operations by venturing into sales of furniture and personal computers. Two years later they opened their second store.

By the early 90's, sales continued to grow at a solid rate but the competition was becoming stronger and business from Mexican shoppers started being affected as a result of the weakening Mexican Peso which made the family re-evaluate its business model and seek new challenges and opportunities.

Cal TV decided to take its business to the next level by taking advantage of modern technology by fully automating its entire operation through the implementation of a state of the art computer system; from Point of Sale Systems, Inventory, Purchasing, Accounts Receivables, Cash Management, Accounting, etc. It hired accountants, lawyers and insurance agents to assist in the process. In addition, the company became more operationally efficient by moving its Distribution and Warehousing facility to a larger and more centralized location. More importantly, it developed an aggressive marketing and business strategy that included the opening of operations in Mexico.

This all came to fruition in 1992 when Cal TV opened its first store in Mexico known as "Mueblerias Cal TV" which became the anchor store in a retail strip center known as "CalTV Plaza" located in the heart of the city of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Currently, Cal TV operates multiple locations in Ciudad Juarez.

Along with the partners, several family members have contributed along the way to the success of Cal TV Incorporated; Ruben Guerrero Jr., Vice President, Patty Anaya Giner, Advertising and Marketing Director, Gaby Anaya, Finance Manager, Ernesto Anaya jr, assistant manager and Jessica Anaya, Cashier.

In 1998 "Cal TV Furniture and Appliance Stores" made a strategic decision to change its name and logo that would represent the progress and direction that the company was heading towards so that it would its concept and, more importantly, the brand and strong name recognition it had established throughout the years. The company's name was changed to "Cal TV Homestore".

In the opening of its newest store that took place in June 2009, in the upper Eastside of El Paso, the company wanted its brand to represent and focus on its largest product category which is its furniture division. This area continues to grow in spite of the innovation that is taking place in its two other significant categories which are electronics and appliances. Cal TV is well known for these two categories since after all both of these areas were the building blocks and cornerstones of the business but the company wanted to position its brand and place a strong foothold in the furniture arena by introducing its brand as "Cal TV Furniture" during the opening of its newest store.

The company continues to evolve and reinvent itself in an effort to keep the brand fresh and dynamic not only through traditional methods but also through areas such as placing a presence in the ever expanding and evolving Internet with its online business known as CalTVonline.com and through Social Media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

The founders, Ernesto Anaya and Ruben Guerrero, remain very involved in the business, along with several members of the family, and continue to seek new opportunities to grow their business. They also know how important it is to be involved in the community by participating in civic and social organizations throughout the El Paso/Juarez area.