AMREP history

When home building began in 1962, many of the first residents were middle-income retirees.

Brothers Jose and Eduardo Ghibaudo immigrated to Los Angeles from Argentina in 1967 and shortly after began working for Bemars Inc. building refuse bodies.

The story begins in 1968, when brothers Jose and Eduardo Ghibaudo came to the United States from Argentina and went to work as welders for a company that built refuse trucks.

The population of the development, which had been dubbed Rio Rancho by AMREP, stood at only about 1,000 by 1970.

In 1971, AMREP purchased and platted an additional 35,000 acres.

When Bemars sold to Maxon Industries in 1972, all of the employees and equipment were absorbed into the company.

Legal Woes Begin in 1975

The name was shortened to Amrep when the business was incorporated in 1976.

Not long after losing the 1977 trial, AMREP decided to get out of the interstate land sales business and concentrate on building low-cost housing on its lots and on selling the real estate locally.

In 1981 Rio Rancho was incorporated and its population had reached 10,000.

AMREP had sold off its Silver Springs Shores subdivision properties near Ocala, Florida in 1983, but continued to manage some property in that state, in Colorado, and near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

While this was not a new concept, being used since the birth of the front loader, the City of Los Angeles decided this was the future and in 1984, placed a huge order for 125 Amrep front loaders with follow on orders pending with plans for an entire fleet conversion.

In 1985 the company's annual revenues stood at over $89 million, with profits of just over $7 million.

By 1986 production demands would lead Amrep to move to its current location in Ontario, CA.

In 1992 AMREP announced the purchase of H.W.S. Solutions, an environmental consulting firm, which became known as AMREP Solutions.

In 1993, the brothers ended their business partnership, but Jose continued to run Amrep.

Beginning in 1995, the business of distributing magazines to retailers underwent dramatic changes.

In 1996 by making only a minor design change, Amrep filed and was awarded its own patent on its automated arm and they were free to manufacture and sell the modified arm.