breaking news from Revell

[markmarples]

as part of my forum i get info direct from Revell, here is a copy of the press release ive just been sent thought you may be interested

REVELL GERMANY ACQUIRED BY HOBBY INDUSTRY LEADER

Bünde, Germany, February, 2012 - Hobbico, Inc. of Champaign, Illinois USA announced today that it has acquired Revell Deutschland Holding GmbH.

Revell Germany was established in 1956 and is the European market leader in the plastic model building segment. For the last four years, Revell has also been a key player in radio control vehicles in the European toy market. With several new product lines just announced at this year's Nuremberg Toy Fair, Revell has embarked on rapid expansion of their radio control products including a new series called tecZone which is targeted at the European hobby market.

Hobbico is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of model hobby products, including radio controlled models, plastic model kits, flying model rockets and other hobby and toy products. The 100% employee-owned company sells products through several subsidiaries including Revell, Estes, Great Planes Model Distributors and Tower Hobbies. Since 2007, Hobbico has owned the U.S. Revell operation. Just prior in 2006, Revell Germany was spun off as a separate company.

"Hobbico's acquisition of Revell Germany creates an enormous opportunity for our company and our employees", said Hans Remfert, President of Revell Germany and now former partner. "With the support of Hobbico as a strong parent company, we have a great opportunity to extend our new engagement in the RC hobby segment on the European markets. Hobbico has experience and know-how in this area as well as a strong assortment of product with worldwide recognition which we will integrate into ours according to the European market conditions. As the European branch for Hobbico, the jobs and the headquarters in Bünde are absolutely safe."

"We are pleased to reunite the Revell brand under one ownership," said Wayne Hemming, President of Hobbico. "Now Revell can proceed with a worldwide strategy for growth of the core plastic model business. We also view this as an excellent foundation to expand the distribution of our other brands and products into the European market."

After starting the original U.S. company in 1945, Revell founder Lou Glaser established the German operation in 1956. Since then, Revell Germany has been known as the European leader in plastic model kits as well as paints, tools and accessories. In 2008, the Revell Control line of radio controlled vehicles was introduced and successfully gained a strong position in the European toy market. In 2011, Revell introduced the award-winning Orbis children's air brush system.

Hobbico was started in 1986 through the combination of Tower Hobbies and Great Planes Model Distributors, founded in 1971 and 1973, respectively. In 2001, Hobbico acquired United Model, a leading hobby products distributor founded in 1959. Hobbico acquired the Revell-Monogram plastic model kit lines in 2007 and Estes-Cox in 2010. In January of this year, Hobbico announced the acquisition of three hobby R/C car brands: Axial, ARRMA and Team Durango.

"This acquisition bodes well for the UK market, as the UK operation is a Branch of Revell Germany" added Thomas Randrup, Country Manager of Revell UK & Ireland.



you can find more info on Hobbico here http://www.hobbico.com/home.html

[PR19_Kit]

"This acquisition bodes well for the UK market, as the UK operation is a Branch of Revell Germany" added Thomas Randrup, Country Manager of Revell UK & Ireland."

Yeah, well he would say that, wouldn't he? (copyright Mandy Rice-Davies 1963)

But I bet he's not a modeller, our judgement on the matter will await the actual way that Revell's plans develop in the future. In the past the independant Revell Gmbh stuff knocked spots of the Hobbico managed Revell US. Let's hope the buyer learns something from its acquisition......

[markmarples]

have to say that im, sceptical as to what the result will be on prices, and if manafacturing moves to the us, the prices have to go up, on the flip side, we may get some re releases of the US kits

[jcf]

independant Revell Gmbh stuff knocked spots of the Hobbico managed Revell US. Let's hope the buyer learns something from its acquisition......

Well, Hobbico have only owned Revell-USA since May 2007, and some of RoG's major releases in the past five years have 'issues '
i.e. the Lancaster dihedral, and now multiple issues on the Halifax, 1/48 Mossie etc. Meanwhile the MOPAR dragsters and Kurtiss
Midgets from Revell-USA have been very nice and the 1/48 Ventura's 'problems' are minor. Indeed the Midgets are beautiful.

[PR19_Kit]

If OOB kits didn't have 'issues' the JMNs would have nothing to complain about, except us of course..... 

Revell Gmbh's airliner kits are the class of the field, and really need to be left alone, no matter what they do with the rest of the stuff. Moving any production to the US would be stupid, all they'd do is lose their European market. The best thing would be to ship the moulds from one plant to another, punch out a few gross and send them back again. They used to do that in the old days before Revell Gmbh declared UDI.

[jcf]

Hobbico's Revell-USA has limited, if any, plastic-kit production in the US ... the Midgets are made in China, the Ventura in Korea, so why would they bother moving European production to the US?
Also there is no point these days in moving moulds around, kitsets are easier and cheaper to ship.

I doubt very much if the average punter is going to notice any difference, aside from the EU availability of Hobbico RC products.

[Aircav]

Trouble is that such things as the MOPAR dragsters and the Kurtiss Midget is going to have a very limited market in Europe where as the stuff RoG has been producing is popular round the world, hence the stuff we send out at the place where I work.

[The Rat]

have to say that im, sceptical as to what the result will be on prices, and if manafacturing moves to the us, the prices have to go up, on the flip side, we may get some re releases of the US kits

If it's an American company then the manufacturing will be done in China.

[jcf]

Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?
For God's sake people, Hobbico purchasing RoG simply means that Revell goes back to what it was before Revell-Monogram
and Revell Gmbh split, it doesn't mean that Revell's European operations will be shut down or that the Evil Yankees will replace
the catalog with their own lines. FFS. 

[raafif]

well, I hope it means that Revell Germany wil continue its line of kits that Revell USA would never even consider ... like modern German armour.  But then maybe Revell USA will insist on them getting the details right & not kitting prototype versions of a vehicle when the production vehicle has been around for 10+ yrs (eg the Luchs 8x8).

However all this will definately NOT improve product availability in my country as their wholesaler here considers plastic kits to be just shelf-filler for toy-shops -- Barbie apparently sells better 

[Aircav]

it doesn't mean that Revell's European operations will be shut down or that the Evil Yankees will replace
the catalog with their own lines. FFS.  

We didn't say "the Evil Yankees", but its just that when companies get bought out the big tends to swallow the smaller so we'll just have to wait and see won't we. 

[Hobbes]

if manafacturing moves to the us,

Not likely. RoG manufacturing is done in Poland atm, and the moulds are often made in Hong Kong. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot to move these to more expensive countries.

[NARSES2]

Speculation is pointless lads, and inevitably when we do we look at the worst possible outcome from our own point of view. Wait and see what happens

[raafif]

Speculation is pointless lads

but without speculation Whiffery wouldn't exist

Besides, since when is spreading dirty gossip & generally Bitchin' not fun ?

[jcf]

... its just that when companies get bought out the big tends to swallow the smaller so we'll just have to wait and see won't we. 

Ya mean like Horsnby buying Airfix? 

Hobbico's purchase of Revell-USA meant an infusion of cash that led to the realization of the Kurtis Midgets (absolutely gorgeous models),
the 1/48 PV-1 Ventura and a number of desired, and now officially licensed, re-releases amongst other projects.
So there is no reason to assume that it's a death knell for Revell's European operations, indeed I'd say it's the exact opposite.

To reiterate, at the end of the day it is simply Revell returning to what it was before the splitting of operations.

Oh yeah, except for the fact that when Revell and Monogram merged back in the '80s, all US Revell operations were shuttered
and everything moved to Monogram's home turf. They only put the Revell name as primary on the business because of better
global brand name recognition. 

BTW the Monogram branded 1/32nd slot cars are friggin' beautiful.