The company was founded in Rio de Janeiro, in 1954, by José Carlos de Barros Neiva [pt]. It started as a glider manufacturer. It moved to Botucatu in 1956. The company produced many gliders and general aviation aircraft until March 11, 1980, when it was acquired by Embraer. After the acquisition, Neiva also started to produce the Ipanema and various components for Embraer aircraft, including the Embraer ERJ 145 family, the Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano and the Embraer E-Jets. Neiva also produced the Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia from 1999 to 2002. In 2006 it was incorporated by Embraer, becoming a unit focused especially on manufacturing agricultural aircraft.[2]