66 MODEL AVIATION
“YOU’RE CRAZY,” responded A2Z Corp. owner Tim Goldstein’s
wife, Karen, when he approached her with the news in 2006.
“We’ve just bought a major model airplane kit manufacturer—
Peck-Polymers,” he said.
No doubt that it was a moment of inspiration and emotion, but it
was rooted in experience and sound business principles.
Tim was already a small home-based modeling supplier. Since
roughly 2000 he had operated F1D.biz—a specialty shop featuring
hard-to-find materials and tools for
the small but exacting FF Indoor
niche. He was also halfway through a
full-time career as a consultant and
contractor in information technology.
“My interests have always been
varied, both personally and in
modeling,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed
everything from RC helicopters to
Indoor FF, so it felt natural to branch
out professionally as well.”
The A2Z Corp. Model Supply
division was preceded by
approximately a year by another of
Tim’s hobbies/businesses: A2Z
CNC—a supplier of machine tools
and accessories for industry. That proved to be a trigger for buying
Peck-Polymers.
“All of a sudden we had lots of warehouse space—and machine
tools don’t take up much shelf space, so it kind of gave me an excuse
to fill the place,” said Tim.
“I want to
support
the model
airplane
hobby.”
“Getting the warehouse, buying Peck, and putting our house and
retirement on the line again were watershed moments,” remembers
Karen. “At that point I knew we were in it for the long-term.”
Peck-Polymers was started in Southern California in the late 1960s.
Bob and Sandy Peck were among the world’s first to supply kits of
Peanut Scale models, which were replicas of full-scale aircraft with
diminutive 13-inch wingspans. When the Peanut craze of the 1970s
hit, it carried the company to new heights.
By the 1980s, Peck-Polymers orange kit boxes were in hobby
shops from coast to coast and the company steadily added to the
product line. There were more supplies for FF, and a few for RC,
with Indoor and Outdoor kits, rubber strip, winders, wheels, and
wood. By that time, Peck-Polymers was entrenched as a major FF
supplier.
In the early 1990s Bob Peck died after a long illness. But Sandy
soldiered on until 2006.
Today A2Z Corp. maintains its modeling and CNC divisions
under one roof. The company has six full-time employees working in
a 7,000-square-foot building outside of Denver, Colorado, that the
Goldsteins bought in 2010.
“The machined-goods side takes up less time than the modeling
side of the business and is more profitable, but it helps to subsidize
the modeling side,” said Tim. “Bottom line is I want to support the
model airplane hobby, and that is why I continue to put energy and
money into it.”
The modeling division of A2Z Corp. is a labor of love. More than
1,000 items especially for FF make it the most in-depth supplier of
its type in the world.
by Don DeLoach
About Us:
Tim Goldstein
with a few of the
many Peck-
Polymers kits,
ready to be
shipped to eager
builders.
CORP.
07sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 5/24/11 9:51 AM Page 66
July 2011 67
Photos by the author
The company has two-dozen Peck-Polymers branded kits, as
well as some from other major manufacturers. Tru-Weight balsa is
widely regarded as the finest around the globe for world-class Indoor
FF duration, thanks to rigorous testing for stiffness and density.
In 2007 A2Z Corp acquired the popular Sting Aero line of
Australian FF Glider kits. In 2008, A2Z acquired Lew Gitlow’s
Indoor Model Supply. That makes five well-known model airplane
brands under the A2Z umbrella.
Perhaps Tim’s greatest contribution to the hobby industry to date
is his line of high-quality CNC-machined tools for FF. He started
with an Indoor propeller pitch gauge in 2001, which was followed
by a torque meter.
His purchase of a commercial CNC milling machine and lathe in
the mid-2000s enabled Tim to make precision steel and aluminum
instruments, including a rubber stripper, three balsa strippers, and,
most recently in 2010, a dual-ratio Indoor rubber winder.
“Tim’s machining abilities are top-notch,” said MA “FF
Indoor” columnist John Kagan. “The new winder is pricey but
is of heirloom quality—probably the finest ever made.
As for what the future holds, Tim is not apt to make predictions.
“One day I’ll slow down, but I’m still open-minded and a risktaker
at heart,” he said. “You never know when another opportunity
will present itself.”
Our bet is that with Tim’s leadership, A2Z Corp. will continue to
thrive. MA
Don DeLoach
[email protected]
Sources:
A2Z Corp
3955 S. Mariposa St.
Englewood CO 80110
(720) 833-9300
www.a2zcorp.us/store
There will be five winners for this “About Us” contest,
all of whom will receive a prize package worth more than
$125! Included in each package will be a CNC McLeod
Balsa Stripper, Peck-
Polymers laser-cut kits, and
more!
For an opportunity to
win these items, submit
your answer to the
following question.
How many different
brand names of kits does
A2Z Corp. offer? (You can
find the answer on the company’s website.)
To submit your entry via email, send your answer, full
name, postal-mail address, and telephone number to MA
Editor Jay Smith. Please put “About Us” in the subject line.
To enter via postal mail, send the preceding information to
MA at AMA, to Jay Smith’s attention.
Entries will be accepted through July 31, 2011. Winners
will be selected on or before June 3. One entry per person is
allowed. Those that are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be ineligible.
This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 states
and District of Columbia and US military members with
APO/FPO addresses. AMA employees are not eligible to
win.
Winners will be selected in random drawings, from
among all eligible entries with the correct answer, by an
Academy employee or employees. Those whose names
are drawn will be notified by telephone or email. Their
names and states of residence will be published in a
future issue of MA and posted on the AMA website. MA
Sources:
Jay Smith
[email protected]
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Win Merchandise
from MA and
A2Z Corp.!
Group photo of the A2Z
gang. From left to right
are Lisa, Shelley, Dave,
Andrew, Miguel, and
owner Tim Goldstein.
Missing is Bob, who was
out. Tim prefers not to
use last names.
07sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 5/24/11 9:59 AM Page 67
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/07
Page Numbers: 66,67
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/07
Page Numbers: 66,67
66 MODEL AVIATION
“YOU’RE CRAZY,” responded A2Z Corp. owner Tim Goldstein’s
wife, Karen, when he approached her with the news in 2006.
“We’ve just bought a major model airplane kit manufacturer—
Peck-Polymers,” he said.
No doubt that it was a moment of inspiration and emotion, but it
was rooted in experience and sound business principles.
Tim was already a small home-based modeling supplier. Since
roughly 2000 he had operated F1D.biz—a specialty shop featuring
hard-to-find materials and tools for
the small but exacting FF Indoor
niche. He was also halfway through a
full-time career as a consultant and
contractor in information technology.
“My interests have always been
varied, both personally and in
modeling,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed
everything from RC helicopters to
Indoor FF, so it felt natural to branch
out professionally as well.”
The A2Z Corp. Model Supply
division was preceded by
approximately a year by another of
Tim’s hobbies/businesses: A2Z
CNC—a supplier of machine tools
and accessories for industry. That proved to be a trigger for buying
Peck-Polymers.
“All of a sudden we had lots of warehouse space—and machine
tools don’t take up much shelf space, so it kind of gave me an excuse
to fill the place,” said Tim.
“I want to
support
the model
airplane
hobby.”
“Getting the warehouse, buying Peck, and putting our house and
retirement on the line again were watershed moments,” remembers
Karen. “At that point I knew we were in it for the long-term.”
Peck-Polymers was started in Southern California in the late 1960s.
Bob and Sandy Peck were among the world’s first to supply kits of
Peanut Scale models, which were replicas of full-scale aircraft with
diminutive 13-inch wingspans. When the Peanut craze of the 1970s
hit, it carried the company to new heights.
By the 1980s, Peck-Polymers orange kit boxes were in hobby
shops from coast to coast and the company steadily added to the
product line. There were more supplies for FF, and a few for RC,
with Indoor and Outdoor kits, rubber strip, winders, wheels, and
wood. By that time, Peck-Polymers was entrenched as a major FF
supplier.
In the early 1990s Bob Peck died after a long illness. But Sandy
soldiered on until 2006.
Today A2Z Corp. maintains its modeling and CNC divisions
under one roof. The company has six full-time employees working in
a 7,000-square-foot building outside of Denver, Colorado, that the
Goldsteins bought in 2010.
“The machined-goods side takes up less time than the modeling
side of the business and is more profitable, but it helps to subsidize
the modeling side,” said Tim. “Bottom line is I want to support the
model airplane hobby, and that is why I continue to put energy and
money into it.”
The modeling division of A2Z Corp. is a labor of love. More than
1,000 items especially for FF make it the most in-depth supplier of
its type in the world.
by Don DeLoach
About Us:
Tim Goldstein
with a few of the
many Peck-
Polymers kits,
ready to be
shipped to eager
builders.
CORP.
07sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 5/24/11 9:51 AM Page 66
July 2011 67
Photos by the author
The company has two-dozen Peck-Polymers branded kits, as
well as some from other major manufacturers. Tru-Weight balsa is
widely regarded as the finest around the globe for world-class Indoor
FF duration, thanks to rigorous testing for stiffness and density.
In 2007 A2Z Corp acquired the popular Sting Aero line of
Australian FF Glider kits. In 2008, A2Z acquired Lew Gitlow’s
Indoor Model Supply. That makes five well-known model airplane
brands under the A2Z umbrella.
Perhaps Tim’s greatest contribution to the hobby industry to date
is his line of high-quality CNC-machined tools for FF. He started
with an Indoor propeller pitch gauge in 2001, which was followed
by a torque meter.
His purchase of a commercial CNC milling machine and lathe in
the mid-2000s enabled Tim to make precision steel and aluminum
instruments, including a rubber stripper, three balsa strippers, and,
most recently in 2010, a dual-ratio Indoor rubber winder.
“Tim’s machining abilities are top-notch,” said MA “FF
Indoor” columnist John Kagan. “The new winder is pricey but
is of heirloom quality—probably the finest ever made.
As for what the future holds, Tim is not apt to make predictions.
“One day I’ll slow down, but I’m still open-minded and a risktaker
at heart,” he said. “You never know when another opportunity
will present itself.”
Our bet is that with Tim’s leadership, A2Z Corp. will continue to
thrive. MA
Don DeLoach
[email protected]
Sources:
A2Z Corp
3955 S. Mariposa St.
Englewood CO 80110
(720) 833-9300
www.a2zcorp.us/store
There will be five winners for this “About Us” contest,
all of whom will receive a prize package worth more than
$125! Included in each package will be a CNC McLeod
Balsa Stripper, Peck-
Polymers laser-cut kits, and
more!
For an opportunity to
win these items, submit
your answer to the
following question.
How many different
brand names of kits does
A2Z Corp. offer? (You can
find the answer on the company’s website.)
To submit your entry via email, send your answer, full
name, postal-mail address, and telephone number to MA
Editor Jay Smith. Please put “About Us” in the subject line.
To enter via postal mail, send the preceding information to
MA at AMA, to Jay Smith’s attention.
Entries will be accepted through July 31, 2011. Winners
will be selected on or before June 3. One entry per person is
allowed. Those that are lost, late, misdirected, garbled, or
incomplete for any reason will be ineligible.
This contest is open to legal residents of the 50 states
and District of Columbia and US military members with
APO/FPO addresses. AMA employees are not eligible to
win.
Winners will be selected in random drawings, from
among all eligible entries with the correct answer, by an
Academy employee or employees. Those whose names
are drawn will be notified by telephone or email. Their
names and states of residence will be published in a
future issue of MA and posted on the AMA website. MA
Sources:
Jay Smith
[email protected]
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
Win Merchandise
from MA and
A2Z Corp.!
Group photo of the A2Z
gang. From left to right
are Lisa, Shelley, Dave,
Andrew, Miguel, and
owner Tim Goldstein.
Missing is Bob, who was
out. Tim prefers not to
use last names.
07sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 5/24/11 9:59 AM Page 67
