HORIZON HOBBY ACQUIRES JSB
Acquisition Extends Horizon’s Commitment to the European Radio Control Hobby Market

Champaign, Illinois, USA and Elmshorn, Germany – April 29, 2008 – Horizon Hobby, Inc. and JSB GmbH announced that earlier this month Horizon acquired JSB, a distributor of radio control hobby products.

Since 2004 JSB has been distributing key Horizon brands—E-Flite, Hangar 9, ParkZone, HobbyZone, Pro Boat, and Evolution Engines—into Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Recently JSB added Spektrum, a leading brand in the growing 2.4 GHz market, to its portfolio.

JSB brings a deep knowledge of the German RC hobby market and important relationships with many retailers throughout Germany. “As we looked for ways to accelerate the penetration of our brands in the German and European markets it was important that we find a company that shared our values. JSB offers a combination of marketing know-how and commitment to the independent retailer that makes this an excellent fit and strong strategic move for us,” stated Mike Gillette, CEO of Horizon. “Since 1985 Horizon has been committed to growing the radio control hobby market by supporting the independent retailers who are the backbone of the industry. We believe JSB can help us continue our mission throughout Germany, and that they will help build on the reputation of our brands.”

 “Ever since we started the company in 2001 we have worked hard to bring the right blend of products and services together to help our retailers help their customers.” said Jörg Schamuhn, former owner of JSB. “Horizon offers an exciting collection of ground-breaking products that have been important to the success of our customers so this is an important milestone for our business. We are thrilled to partner with a company that is as deeply committed to our market as Horizon is.”

Horizon’s first investment in Europe was the acquisition of UK-based Helger Racing in 2004, renamed in 2007 to Horizon Hobby UK Ltd. With the addition of JSB German independent retailers and end-consumers will be able to benefit from the expanded resources, scale and experience of Horizon’s global operations.

JSB is now renamed Horizon Hobby Deutschland GmbH and will continue to operate out of Elmshorn, Germany under the leadership of former owners Jörg Schamuhn and Birgit Schamuhn and Horizon Hobby’s Director of European Operations, Sebo Dapper.

About Horizon Hobby, Inc.
For more than twenty years, Horizon Hobby has been an innovator in the field of fun—not just in the development of great radio controlled vehicles and model train products, but in the development of services that make a retailer’s job, if not more fun, a whole lot less stressful. It is this combination of distribution and manufacturing experience that gives us a unique insight into the challenges faced by hobby and toy retailers, as well as the opportunities they look for. 

For more information about this acquisition, please contact:

Horizon Hobby, Inc.
4105 Fieldstone Rd.
Champaign, IL 61822
USA
+1-217-352-1913

or

Horizon Hobby Deutschland GmbH
Otto Hahn Straße 9a
25337 Elmshorn
Germany
+49 4121 46199 60