AR Celebrates 40th Anniversary

AR, formerly known as Amplifier Research, is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009. The leading supplier of amplifiers and test equipment started 40 years ago in the basement of founder Donald "Shep" Shepherd. As Shep recalls, "We started the company in my basement because the only place we could go from there was up."

The founders began by shopping their only sample amplifier to potential customers, transporting the amplifier in the trunk of Shep's small car. The firm now consists of four separate companies and over 200 employees. Shep notes, "AR began when we designed an amplifier for test applications. That amplifier solved some problems that testers were experiencing, and it made some tests easier to conduct. That's what we've been doing ever since: solving problems and making testing easier." Formerly known as AR Worldwide, AR now consists of AR RF Microwave Instrumentation, AR Modular RF, AR Receiver Systems, and AR Europe. As Shep explains, "We're one company with infinite solutions. And after 40 years, we're only just beginning."