Horizon Hobby

It was founded by Rick Stephens, Janet Ottmers, Debra Love, and Eric Meyers,[1] in July 1985,[2] and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

[5] In July 1985, Stephens, along with Janet Ottmers, Debra Love, and Eric Meyers, formed Horizon Hobby.

[5] October 1, 1985, was the first day of official business as the team started shipping inventory on orders they’d been taking the months prior.

[5] In 1986, a second distribution center was opened in Paso Robles, California, allowing Horizon Hobby to service retailers west of the Rockies.

[1] A year later, a third distribution center was opened in Ashland, Virginia, creating the ability to service retailers on the East Coast.

[6][8] These brands brought innovative RC technology to hobby-quality aircraft, featuring plug-and-play accessories and multiple flight modes.

[6] The same year, Team Losi Racing introduced the 22 platform [12], winning numerous national and international titles and industry accolades.

[1][13] The year 2015 brought the Blade Inductrix, the first ultra-micro First-Person View (FPV) quadcopter designed to be accessible to all skill levels.

[6] In the same year, Horizon Hobby introduced SAFE (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) Technology, enhancing the safety and ease of flying RC aircraft.

[6] Since its inception in 2017, Horizon RC Fest has grown to become the largest gathering of radio-controlled cars, trucks, airplanes, helicopters, and drones in the Midwest.