CEO Joe Ambrose (Jul 2008–) | ||
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Horizon hobby convergence vtol maiden flight on stu s channel
Horizon Hobby, LLC. is an international hobby product distributor, headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. It currently manufactures various hobby grade radio control (R/C) models, as well as Athearn model trains and die-cast models, which it sells direct to consumers as well as to hobby retailers.
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Company
Horizon employs about 950 people and sells products in about 50 countries. Corporate headquarters, along with the main distribution facilities and product service center, are located in Champaign, Illinois. Additional distribution centers are located in Ontario, California; Long Beach, California; Lieusaint, France; Harlow, England (site of Horizon Hobby UK Ltd.); Shanghai, China; Zhuhai, China; Barsbüttel, Germany; Hamburg, Germany; Berlin, Germany; and Elmshorn, Germany (site of Horizon Hobby Deutschland GmbH). California is also home to the Losi RC car division (Ontario, CA) and the Athearn train line (Long Beach, CA).
It is also the parent company for Athearn trains, Blade Helis, Dynamite RC (Battery Chargers, Speed Controllers, Nitro Engines), E-flite, ECX, Evolution, Force RC, Hangar 9, HobbyZone, ParkZone, Pro Boat, Losi, Team Losi Racing, Staufenbiel, Spektrum Radio equipment and Vaterra. It is also the exclusive distributor of JR Radios in North America.
History
On December 9, 2013, Horizon announced that the company was being bought by a group of investors led by Horizon's CEO, Joe Ambrose. The group includes Minneapolis-based Mill City Capital L.P. and Champaign-based Armory Capital LLC founded by Jacob Ambrose.
Before being purchased by Horizon Hobby at some point in time, the Losi remote-controlled car division had been a separate company founded by Gil Losi with the release of the JRX2 in 1988.