Ampex is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff

Alexander M. Poniatoff

Alexander Matveevich Poniatoff was a Russian-American electrical engineer.Poniatoff was born 25 March 1892 in Aisha, Zelenodolsky District, Tatarstan, Russian Empire. He emigrated from Russia to China, where he worked for the Shanghai Power Company until he emigrated to the United States in 1927...

. The name AMPEX is an acronym, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence. At one time public, Ampex is currently a privately held company.
Alexander Matthew Poniatoff

Alexander M. Poniatoff

Alexander Matveevich Poniatoff was a Russian-American electrical engineer.Poniatoff was born 25 March 1892 in Aisha, Zelenodolsky District, Tatarstan, Russian Empire. He emigrated from Russia to China, where he worked for the Shanghai Power Company until he emigrated to the United States in 1927...

 established the company in San Carlos

San Carlos, California

San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, in 1944 as the Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company. The name came from his initials plus "ex" to avoid using the name AMP already in use.