Hobbico
Encyclopedia
Hobbico, Inc. is located in Champaign, Illinois
and is a manufacturer and distributor of hobby products including radio control
airplanes, boats, cars and helicopters. Other products include plastic model
kits, model rockets, model trains, slot cars, crafts, jigsaw puzzles and games. Its retail division, Tower Hobbies
is the largest mail-order and internet retailer of hobby products in the world. The company has approximately 850 employees.
The company distributes about 300 brands of hobby products including several dozen proprietary product brands. Proprietary brands include: Revell
, Monogram, Top Flite, Great Planes, AquaCraft Models, FlightPower (North America), Heli-Max, SuperTigre, O'Donnell, DuraTrax, RealFlight
, MonoKote
, Carl Goldberg Products, ElectriFly, Coverite, Dynaflite, Fuji-Imvac, FlyZone, Team Checkpoint, MuchMore Racing, VS Tank, Estes Industries
and others. It is the exclusive distributor for Futaba radio control products in North and South America, for O.S. Engines in North America and Thunder Tiger
in North and South America.
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
and is a manufacturer and distributor of hobby products including radio control
Radio control
Radio control is the use of radio signals to remotely control a device. The term is used frequently to refer to the control of model vehicles from a hand-held radio transmitter...
airplanes, boats, cars and helicopters. Other products include plastic model
Plastic model
thumb|300px||4-year-old boy starts painting a plastic model he has assembled of the South Goodwin LightshipPlastic models, often called scale models, are models manufactured as kits which are assembled by hobbyists, and intended for static display....
kits, model rockets, model trains, slot cars, crafts, jigsaw puzzles and games. Its retail division, Tower Hobbies
Tower Hobbies
Tower Hobbies was started in 1971 by Bruce Holecek, and is now the largest hobby mail-order company in the world . Tower Hobbies is a division of Hobbico, Inc, which is headquartered Champaign, Illinois, United States....
is the largest mail-order and internet retailer of hobby products in the world. The company has approximately 850 employees.
The company distributes about 300 brands of hobby products including several dozen proprietary product brands. Proprietary brands include: Revell
Revell
Revell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...
, Monogram, Top Flite, Great Planes, AquaCraft Models, FlightPower (North America), Heli-Max, SuperTigre, O'Donnell, DuraTrax, RealFlight
RealFlight
RealFlight is a radio-controlled airplane and helicopter simulation software series created by Knife Edge Software and published by Great Planes...
, MonoKote
Monokote
MonoKote is commercially available light weight plastic shrink wrap film available in various color schemes with an adhesive on one side, used to cover and form the surfaces of a model aircraft. The material is cut to size and applied to the airframe surfaces using a hobby iron or heat gun...
, Carl Goldberg Products, ElectriFly, Coverite, Dynaflite, Fuji-Imvac, FlyZone, Team Checkpoint, MuchMore Racing, VS Tank, Estes Industries
Estes Industries
Estes Industries is a company based in Penrose, Colorado, USA that designs and builds model rocket and model aircraft engines and kits. They were the best known model rocket company during the "golden age of rocketry" in the 1970s and early 1980s, competing primarily with Centuri Engineering and a...
and others. It is the exclusive distributor for Futaba radio control products in North and South America, for O.S. Engines in North America and Thunder Tiger
Thunder Tiger
Thunder Tiger Corporation is a Taiwanese manufacturer of radio controlled model airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats and model engines including jet turbines....
in North and South America.
Company history
- In 1971 Tower HobbiesTower HobbiesTower Hobbies was started in 1971 by Bruce Holecek, and is now the largest hobby mail-order company in the world . Tower Hobbies is a division of Hobbico, Inc, which is headquartered Champaign, Illinois, United States....
was founded by Bruce Holecek. - In 1972 Great Planes Model Distributors was founded by Don Anderson.
- Hobbico was started in 1985 when Tower Hobbies was combined with Great Planes Model Distributors to form Hobbico, Inc.
- In November 2005 the company became a 100% employee-owned ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).
- In May 2007 Hobbico acquired Revell-Monogram, famous maker of RevellRevellRevell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...
plastic model kits. - In January 2010 Hobbico acquired model rocket maker Estes IndustriesEstes IndustriesEstes Industries is a company based in Penrose, Colorado, USA that designs and builds model rocket and model aircraft engines and kits. They were the best known model rocket company during the "golden age of rocketry" in the 1970s and early 1980s, competing primarily with Centuri Engineering and a...
. - In September 2010 Hobbico was appointed exclusive distributor for Thunder TigerThunder TigerThunder Tiger Corporation is a Taiwanese manufacturer of radio controlled model airplanes, helicopters, cars, boats and model engines including jet turbines....
in North and South America.