Private company

Hobbico

Hobby products manufacturer

Hobbico, Inc. was a manufacturer and distributor of hobby products including radio control airplanes, boats, cars, helicopters and multirotors/drones. Other products include plastic model kits, model rockets, model trains, slot cars, crafts, jigsaw puzzles and games. The company had approximately 850 employees worldwide.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1985Founded1
  • Industrygame industry1
  • HeadquartersChampaign1
  • Websitewww.hobbico.com
  • Legal formBusiness Corporation3
  • LEI549300T60ZV5NJDC1L953
  • StatusInactive3
  • LEI statusRetired3
  • Registered addressC/O Francis J Jahn, 61820 Champaign, United States3
  • Registered withBusiness Services (Office of the Secretary of State), C16438-20013

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Hobbico, Inc. was a manufacturer and distributor of hobby products including radio control airplanes, boats, cars, helicopters and multirotors/drones. Other products include plastic model kits, model rockets, model trains, slot cars, crafts, jigsaw puzzles and games. The company had approximately 850 employees worldwide. On January 10, 2018, Hobbico filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced the company is for sale. On April 13, Horizon Hobby acquired control of most Hobbico RC brands & IP (excepting Great Planes Manufacturing). Estes Industries acquired the Estes-Cox business unit and a German venture capital group acquired Revell Germany whole and the Revell-Monogram brands, IP & molds.2

Corporate structure

Hobbico sits at the top of its group. 4 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Hobbico reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

In 1971 Tower Hobbies 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 Revell plastic model kits.

In January 2010 Hobbico acquired model rocket maker Estes Industries.

In September 2010 Hobbico was appointed exclusive distributor for Thunder Tiger in North and South America.

In January 2012 Hobbico acquired the brands Axial, Durango, Arrma and dBoots tires.

Read the full text

As of January 2015 Hobbico no longer distributes Thunder Tiger products.

In 2012, Hobbico acquired Revell Germany located in Bunde, Germany, and launched Hobbico Europe.

On January 10, 2018, it was announced that Hobbico had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

On 30 June 2018, it was announced that Hobbico had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and went into liquidation.

From Wikipedia’s article on Hobbico, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • scale model

Listed on Wikidata.1

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

Also owns

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

  1. 2007Acquired Monogram models1
  2. 2007Acquired Revell1

Timeline

  1. 1985Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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