HobbiCo / Great Planes / Tower Hobbies

[skinnyj]

Hobbico employees now need to apply online for a job at Horizon.



Bankruptcy judge OKs Horizon's purchase of Hobbico's RC business | News-Gazette.com

That's pretty standard when a company changes hands. Even if you are guaranteed retention, you still need to formally apply so the new company's HR people can start your employment file.

At least they are offering positions. Horizon could have cut them all loose.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Fookin GM. After having to get a bail out from O’bummer they wanna start some flack about another company in a bind. LOL.

They're just protecting their intellectual property. Why do people hate on companies for protecting what's theirs? I don't get it.

It's a good sign that Horizon is offering jobs to HobbiCo employees. To me that shows that at least some of the businesses will remain in place.

 

[calcagno45]

They're just protecting their intellectual property. Why do people hate on companies for protecting what's theirs? I don't get it.

It's a good sign that Horizon is offering jobs to HobbiCo employees. To me that shows that at least some of the businesses will remain in place.

Yep, I'd expect some fat to be trimmed in the process though.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

Yep, I'd expect some fat to be trimmed in the process though.

For sure. Fat is almost always trimmed when companies are purchased. Now we just have to wait and see which, if any, of the HobbiCo brands/companies are considered "fat" that needs to be trimmed.

 

[skinnyj]

Yep, I'd expect some fat to be trimmed in the process though.

Sadly, it will be the "rank & file" that will really take the hit. Positions like CSR and warehouse are redundant and Horizon will keep the best ones in that pool to help with the transition, as they need some Hobbico employees at all levels for their knowledge.

 

[GA Dawg]

Now we just have to wait and see which, if any, of the HobbiCo brands/companies are considered "fat" that needs to be trimmed.

I wouldn't buy a company to shut it down when it is going out of business on its own. People will definitely get cut. Some products will possibly get cut, but I would be shocked to see any brands go away.

 

[skinnyj]

I wouldn't buy a company to shut it down when it is going out of business on its own. People will definitely get cut. Some products will possibly get cut, but I would be shocked to see any brands go away.

I would think they would try and sell off properties they weren't interested in if they thought it would make them money.

 

[svt923]

I wouldn't buy a company to shut it down when it is going out of business on its own. People will definitely get cut. Some products will possibly get cut, but I would be shocked to see any brands go away.

Don't know about that.

Arrma - Bringing over no inventory of Arrma vehicles surely isn't a good sign for that brand. Either they are planning on redesigning anything that was the subject of a Traxxas lawsuit and manufacturing entirely new vehicles or are just going to support the current owners with parts before letting it fade away. If the former is what is happening, it will be a long time before stock is available again.

Duratrax - The brand is nearly entirely made of slapping a new sticker on another product with a reputation for cheap to average quality, why keep it around to compete with Dynamite (which has a better reputation for the most part)?

Omni Models - Tower may stick around because it has big time brand recognition as a online hobby seller. Who buys from Omni Models?

 

[skinnyj]

Don't know about that.

Arrma - Bringing over no inventory of Arrma vehicles surely isn't a good sign for that brand. Either they are planning on redesigning anything that was the subject of a Traxxas lawsuit and manufacturing entirely new vehicles or are just going to support the current owners with parts before letting it fade away. If the former is what is happening, it will be a long time before stock is available again.

Duratrax - The brand is nearly entirely made of slapping a new sticker on another product with a reputation for cheap to average quality, why keep it around to compete with Dynamite (which has a better reputation for the most part)?

Omni Models - Tower may stick around because it has big time brand recognition as a online hobby seller. Who buys from Omni Models?

If I recall from the "legal mumbo-jumbo", they are taking any Arrma properties that aren't tied to litigation.

 

[svt923]

If I recall from the "legal mumbo-jumbo", they are taking any Arrma properties that aren't tied to litigation.

There is a list towards the end of the purchase agreement, it excludes inventory of pretty much every complete Arrma vehicle and a few parts.

 

[CM9000]

How do you fathom that your analogy is even close to the idea that HobbiCo may put SCX10 II axles on an Ascender?

how do I fathom? horizon owns tlr and ae. both separate companies.

as soon as horizon bought ae nothing changed between ae and tlr kits or rtr's.

same thing will happen with vaterra and axial. NOTHING WILL CHANGE. "thumbsup"

still 2 separate companies. just under one distributor.


if somebody thinks ascenders will get scx10.2 axles out of the box in the future you must be high.

 

[allanon1965]

Don't know about that.

Arrma - Bringing over no inventory of Arrma vehicles surely isn't a good sign for that brand. Either they are planning on redesigning anything that was the subject of a Traxxas lawsuit and manufacturing entirely new vehicles or are just going to support the current owners with parts before letting it fade away. If the former is what is happening, it will be a long time before stock is available again.

Duratrax - The brand is nearly entirely made of slapping a new sticker on another product with a reputation for cheap to average quality, why keep it around to compete with Dynamite (which has a better reputation for the most part)?

Omni Models - Tower may stick around because it has big time brand recognition as a online hobby seller. Who buys from Omni Models?

Omni Models is Towers Ebay selling account, I have purchased a lot of stuff thru them on ebay...

 

[skinnyj]

how do I fathom? horizon owns tlr and ae. both separate companies.

as soon as horizon bought ae nothing changed between ae and tlr kits or rtr's.

same thing will happen with vaterra and axial. NOTHING WILL CHANGE. "thumbsup"

still 2 separate companies. just under one distributor.


if somebody thinks ascenders will get scx10.2 axles out of the box in the future you must be high.

Like I said before... Horizon does NOT own Associated Electrics. They (AE) are owned by Thunder Tiger, a Taiwanese company. Before that, they were independently owned until 2005.

Associated Electrics

 

[svt923]

Omni Models is Towers Ebay selling account, I have purchased a lot of stuff thru them on ebay...

Ever buy off their website?

It is looks like it hasn't been updated since the mid 90s.

 

[JatoTheRipper]

how do I fathom? horizon owns tlr and ae. both separate companies.

as soon as horizon bought ae nothing changed between ae and tlr kits or rtr's.

same thing will happen with vaterra and axial. NOTHING WILL CHANGE. "thumbsup"

still 2 separate companies. just under one distributor.


if somebody thinks ascenders will get scx10.2 axles out of the box in the future you must be high.

Horizon doesn't own TLR nor AE.

 

[CM9000]

Like I said before... Horizon does NOT own Associated Electrics. They (AE) are owned by Thunder Tiger, a Taiwanese company. Before that, they were independently owned until 2005.

Associated Electrics

tq10 back in the day.. remember that? remember anything in 2017? did you black out from a tide pod? :lmao:

pretty soon.. once again AE will be available through Horizon.

 

[skinnyj]

tq10 back in the day.. remember that? remember anything in 2017? did you black out from a tide pod? :lmao:

pretty soon.. once again AE will be available through Horizon.

Yes, the TQ10 was commissioned by Horizon for exclusive sale through them only. It doesn't change the fact that Horizon hasn't ever owned AE. Period. Also, AE is currently available through Horizon and has been since Hobbico has been having issues.

The only person who sounds like they are munching Tide pods is you.

 

[skellyo]

There is a list towards the end of the purchase agreement, it excludes inventory of pretty much every complete Arrma vehicle and a few parts.

No, it's all older Arrma models. All the 2018 models are fine. The 2018 versions all have a newer receiver box design.

 

[allanon1965]

Ever buy off their website?

It is looks like it hasn't been updated since the mid 90s.

nope, only off ebay, the return address on my packages from them had the same return address as tower hobbies in champaign illinois and a few tower hobbies flyers, just like tower does "thumbsup"

 

[skinnyj]

Horizon doesn't own TLR nor AE.

Actually, Horizon does own TLR and Losi. Horizon bought them in 2000.