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Company Profile Amerequip, located in the two small communities of Kiel and New Holstein, Wisconsin, has been a design and build organization based in large part on its history of providing medium duty backhoes for compact utility tractors as well as front end loaders, front and rear blades, post hole diggers and similar products. In the last two decades, Amerequip, has shifted to becoming an OEM provider. Taking advantage of opportunities with a significant OEM account, Amerequip added a contract manufacturing service to its design and build offerings. This resulted in building product designed by others, which included 60", and 72" mower decks along with smaller service decks. Under this arrangement of contract manufacturing, Amerequip has also manufactured a variety of self-propelled golf course mowers and commercial walk-behind product. We remain a strong design and build organization with emphasis on the backhoe product. This is evidenced by our current product line, which has been vigorously accepted by our current OEM accounts. Together with our general design capability, Amerequip has been a strong participant in the concurrent engineering process. We have functioned in various capacities, including project leadership, to help bring products on line successfully. Another process with which we have been active is DFC/DFM (Design for Competitiveness/Manufactureability). A number of products have undergone this activity at Amerequip and all have produced satisfactory results in terms of sustained value and decreased cost. An appropriate footnote to the company's general profile is that in October of 1998, Amerequip became an ESOP-owned Company with the ownership shifting to the salaried employees. The benefit of this action is, of course, the added incentive for each employee to influence his or her own future retirement. We believe that this has been a very constructive decision for all involved. Company History
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Arps "Snowbird" 1925
The company now known as Amerequip Corporation was started on January 01, 1920 as a partnership between industrial inventor Bruno F. Arps and his uncle, Henry Kaiser. They named it Farm Specialty Manufacturing Company and immediately started development of accessories for farm tractors such as a safety plow hitch. In 1922, B.F. Arps purchased his uncle�s interest in the company. The business was incorporated in 1924 and became the Arps Corporation.
To address the seasonal nature of the organization, Snowmobile, Inc. of New Hampshire was acquired in 1925. This product, which was later moved to New Holstein, Wisconsin, consisted of a set of steel tracks, idler axles, gear units, and skis which converted an automobile into a snow traveling vehicle. Rural mail carriers, doctors, and utilities provided an excellent market for this accessory. In 1928, rights to a competitive unit, Snow Flyer Corporations were acquired. The Arps "Snow Bird" became immensely popular and gained fame when two snow-automobiles were used by Admiral Richard Byrd during his second expedition to the South Pole, 1931-1933. During the 1930�s production of the Blackhawk Golf Course Tractors and Highway Mowers complemented the Winter snow-traveling equipment. It was also during this time that straight blades and a curved V-plow design were developed for trucks, especially those hauling milk. Production of all Arps products were discontinued during the years 1941-1945 when the entire resources of the company were redirected to supporting the United States effort in World War II. After the war, farm tractor attachments continued as the primary focus with a metal track attachment, known as the "Half-Track" introduced in 1949. This product which improved the traction of agricultural tractors before 4WD capability, heavily drew on the experience with snow-traveling equipment two decades earlier. In 1951, the Arps Corporation began its two decade involvement with self-propelled trenching equipment with the introduction of the "Trench Hog" for medium horsepower tractors. On October 30, 1963, the Arps Corporation was acquired by the Chromalloy American Corporation of St. Louis. F. B. (Bud) Arps, son of the founder, became the new President of the Arps Subsidiary of Chromalloy. The decade of the 1960�s saw significant expansion in the Arps product line, with major offerings in snowblowers, loaders, posthole diggers, and stump cutters for agricultural tractors. In 1970, a backhoe was developed for use with one of the Arps compact trenchers. This was soon expanded to include five additional models for agricultural tractors through 100 horsepower. Over the next three decades, 15 models were introduced, allowing the line to evolve to keep up with consumer demands. The current offering of six models forms the back bone of the company�s production. The company which was then know as the Arps Division of Chromalloy was sold to an independent entrepreneur named Richard H. Lytle in January 1983. Additional acquisitions were made in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Oklahoma which provided additional backhoe and loader capabilities. While maintaining the current distribution network and offering a line of backhoes, front end loaders, and scraper/dozer blades, the company branched out to the Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) market. In 1985, all companies were consolidated under the new corporate name Amerequip. In 1987, a production facility in Kiel Wisconsin was purchased to handle new ventures in mowing equipment for small lawn tractors and compact utility tractors. In the same year, divestitures occurred which allowed Amerequip to concentrate operation in New Holstein and Kiel, Wisconsin. In 1998, R.H. Lytle retired and Amerequip became an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Company, owned by the salaried employees. In addition to the Amerequip brand product, current OEM customers include John Deere, Bush Hog, and Great Bend. As owners, Amerequip employees continue to take pride in the company and offer innovative, quality products at the lowest possible cost.
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