helicopters and soon afterward RC aircraft.
Kendall shared with me that he was aware the way the company
was growing that even the new facility wouldn’t be large enough to
satisfy its needs for very long.
In August 2008, after searching multiple locations in the Chico
area, a 52,000-square-foot facility that housed offices and a large
warehouse would suit their needs. The new location even provided
an area for an indoor RC car track. Initially it was a carpet track that
has since been turned into an RC dirt track.
Today A Main
Hobbies carries 42,000
products, has a
separate full-service
hobby shop, and
employs 65 people.
The company has
won the BizRate
Circle of Excellence
award for online
retailers for four years
straight and has been
recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America
according to Inc. 5000.
A Main is heavily involved in sponsoring and supporting more
than 100 events each year from local fun-flys to large events such as
the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA)
Jamboree.
I am amazed by A Main’s success story and shared that with
everyone on our conference call including Kendall, Marketing
Manager John Taylor, CFO Kevin Kiser, and PR Director Aaron
76 MODEL AVIATION
by Jay Smith
BUSINESS SUCCESS stories of companies that literally started
out of a garage are few and far between these days, but A Main
Hobbies is one. Kendall Bennett and his wife Kelly started the
company from the garage of their California home in May 2004.
Kendall, who started flying RC airplanes at age 10 and running
RC cars at 15, was looking for an incubator project to learn more
about e-commerce software since his full-time job was running a
software company. He had previously sold parts for Kyosho RC cars
on eBay and decided to turn it into a side company.
His new online venture was to be called RC Nation—that is until
another company, RC-Nation, popped up on the Web and caused
confusion for customers of both companies. Because Kendall’s
company’s focus at that time was solely on RC car parts, the name
was changed to A Main Hobbies. The name comes from heats called
“mains” in RC car racing. Ultimately the best drivers compete in the
A Main with the next best group in the B Main and so on.
Kendall realized early on that having software that used real-time
inventory and stocking every available part for the products the
company supported were vital to his success.
Less than a year later, in January 2005, it was apparent that the
business was viable and a larger space was required to house all of
the products A Main Hobbies carried. A 1,000-square-foot store
front was available next door to Kendall’s software company and it
became the new location of A Main Hobbies. Not only was the
company expanding in floor space, but it was also time to add
employees to help maintain a high level of customer service.
By the end of 2005, A Main Hobbies had taken over most of the
software company’s space and it was again time to move to a larger
space. Tripling in size, a 9,000-square-foot facility became the new
home for A Main and the product line was expanded to include
Photos by the author
“We need to get
our hobby out in
front of people
who have never
experienced it.”
The majority of A Main Hobbies’
65 employees pose for a picture.
09sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 10:37 AM Page 76
Waldron. It was apparent that everyone on the call was not only
familiar with the hobby, but also participants. Between them they
had 63.5 years of experience!
The hobby business can be a tough market. More online and
brick-and-mortar stores go out of business than make it, so I was
curious about what Kendall felt contributed to their success. He
shared with me that there was no single focus such as price or
customer service.
A Main Hobbies has focused on all aspects and has worked to
continuously improve. If they were made aware that they didn’t
carry a product, it was stocked. The website features real-time
inventory so the customer is not left guessing if an order can be
filled. Customers are taken care of and supported, building a
customer-trust relationship that is important to Kendall and everyone
at A Main Hobbies.
I asked Kendall what he was most proud of. “We managed to do
this by ourselves,” he said. “We have done well because I am an
entrepreneur and I approach a problem from a practical perspective.
Having zero experience in certain areas has allowed us to develop
solutions ourselves and think outside the box.”
I was also curious what was in store for the future of A Main
Hobbies. I asked Kendall what his goals were going forward. “We
have strong growth plans,” he replied. “We want to continue to grow
the online presence and refine the customer experience while
integrating social media. Build a team website and allow people to
interact with team members. We need to get our hobby out in front
of people who have never experienced it.”
John added that it is very important to Kendall to give back to the
RC industry by sponsoring team members and events. There are
even plans for a 1/8-scale outdoor racetrack at the local fairgrounds
for RC off-road car racing.
In closing, I asked the group if there was anything else they
wanted to mention and we discussed A Main Hobbies proprietary
brand: ProTek R/C. Since its inception in 2007, power supplies,
chargers, and batteries have been extensively tested in-house prior to
receiving the ProTek R/C name and the company stands behind
them 100%.
My experience has been with the ProTek power supplies that
have been powering the charging stations at the National Electric
Fly-In, trouble free, for the last two years.
After spending nearly two hours on the phone with Kendall,
John, Kevin, and Aaron, it was apparent that they are as passionate
about the hobby as we are here at MA and I look forward to seeing
what they can do in the next seven years! MA
Sources:
A Main Hobbies
424 Otterson Drive, Suite 160
Chico CA 95928
(800) 705-2215
www.amainhobbies.com
For an opportunity to win the ProTek RC
Super Pro 1000 power supply from A Main
Hobbies, submit your answer to the
following question.
How many different categories of RC
airplanes does A Main Hobbies offer on its
website? (You can find the answer on its
website.)
To submit your entry via e-mail, 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
September 30, 2011. Winners will be
selected on or before October 3. One entry
per person is allowed. Lost, late,
misdirected, garbled, or incomplete entries
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 by an Academy employee or
employees from among all eligible entries
with the correct answer. Those whose names
Win Merchandise from MA and A Main Hobbies!
Roughly 42,000
products await
your order in the
A Main Hobbies’
warehouse.
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
September 2011 77
09sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 10:44 AM Page 77
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/09
Page Numbers: 76,77
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/09
Page Numbers: 76,77
helicopters and soon afterward RC aircraft.
Kendall shared with me that he was aware the way the company
was growing that even the new facility wouldn’t be large enough to
satisfy its needs for very long.
In August 2008, after searching multiple locations in the Chico
area, a 52,000-square-foot facility that housed offices and a large
warehouse would suit their needs. The new location even provided
an area for an indoor RC car track. Initially it was a carpet track that
has since been turned into an RC dirt track.
Today A Main
Hobbies carries 42,000
products, has a
separate full-service
hobby shop, and
employs 65 people.
The company has
won the BizRate
Circle of Excellence
award for online
retailers for four years
straight and has been
recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in America
according to Inc. 5000.
A Main is heavily involved in sponsoring and supporting more
than 100 events each year from local fun-flys to large events such as
the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA)
Jamboree.
I am amazed by A Main’s success story and shared that with
everyone on our conference call including Kendall, Marketing
Manager John Taylor, CFO Kevin Kiser, and PR Director Aaron
76 MODEL AVIATION
by Jay Smith
BUSINESS SUCCESS stories of companies that literally started
out of a garage are few and far between these days, but A Main
Hobbies is one. Kendall Bennett and his wife Kelly started the
company from the garage of their California home in May 2004.
Kendall, who started flying RC airplanes at age 10 and running
RC cars at 15, was looking for an incubator project to learn more
about e-commerce software since his full-time job was running a
software company. He had previously sold parts for Kyosho RC cars
on eBay and decided to turn it into a side company.
His new online venture was to be called RC Nation—that is until
another company, RC-Nation, popped up on the Web and caused
confusion for customers of both companies. Because Kendall’s
company’s focus at that time was solely on RC car parts, the name
was changed to A Main Hobbies. The name comes from heats called
“mains” in RC car racing. Ultimately the best drivers compete in the
A Main with the next best group in the B Main and so on.
Kendall realized early on that having software that used real-time
inventory and stocking every available part for the products the
company supported were vital to his success.
Less than a year later, in January 2005, it was apparent that the
business was viable and a larger space was required to house all of
the products A Main Hobbies carried. A 1,000-square-foot store
front was available next door to Kendall’s software company and it
became the new location of A Main Hobbies. Not only was the
company expanding in floor space, but it was also time to add
employees to help maintain a high level of customer service.
By the end of 2005, A Main Hobbies had taken over most of the
software company’s space and it was again time to move to a larger
space. Tripling in size, a 9,000-square-foot facility became the new
home for A Main and the product line was expanded to include
Photos by the author
“We need to get
our hobby out in
front of people
who have never
experienced it.”
The majority of A Main Hobbies’
65 employees pose for a picture.
09sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 10:37 AM Page 76
Waldron. It was apparent that everyone on the call was not only
familiar with the hobby, but also participants. Between them they
had 63.5 years of experience!
The hobby business can be a tough market. More online and
brick-and-mortar stores go out of business than make it, so I was
curious about what Kendall felt contributed to their success. He
shared with me that there was no single focus such as price or
customer service.
A Main Hobbies has focused on all aspects and has worked to
continuously improve. If they were made aware that they didn’t
carry a product, it was stocked. The website features real-time
inventory so the customer is not left guessing if an order can be
filled. Customers are taken care of and supported, building a
customer-trust relationship that is important to Kendall and everyone
at A Main Hobbies.
I asked Kendall what he was most proud of. “We managed to do
this by ourselves,” he said. “We have done well because I am an
entrepreneur and I approach a problem from a practical perspective.
Having zero experience in certain areas has allowed us to develop
solutions ourselves and think outside the box.”
I was also curious what was in store for the future of A Main
Hobbies. I asked Kendall what his goals were going forward. “We
have strong growth plans,” he replied. “We want to continue to grow
the online presence and refine the customer experience while
integrating social media. Build a team website and allow people to
interact with team members. We need to get our hobby out in front
of people who have never experienced it.”
John added that it is very important to Kendall to give back to the
RC industry by sponsoring team members and events. There are
even plans for a 1/8-scale outdoor racetrack at the local fairgrounds
for RC off-road car racing.
In closing, I asked the group if there was anything else they
wanted to mention and we discussed A Main Hobbies proprietary
brand: ProTek R/C. Since its inception in 2007, power supplies,
chargers, and batteries have been extensively tested in-house prior to
receiving the ProTek R/C name and the company stands behind
them 100%.
My experience has been with the ProTek power supplies that
have been powering the charging stations at the National Electric
Fly-In, trouble free, for the last two years.
After spending nearly two hours on the phone with Kendall,
John, Kevin, and Aaron, it was apparent that they are as passionate
about the hobby as we are here at MA and I look forward to seeing
what they can do in the next seven years! MA
Sources:
A Main Hobbies
424 Otterson Drive, Suite 160
Chico CA 95928
(800) 705-2215
www.amainhobbies.com
For an opportunity to win the ProTek RC
Super Pro 1000 power supply from A Main
Hobbies, submit your answer to the
following question.
How many different categories of RC
airplanes does A Main Hobbies offer on its
website? (You can find the answer on its
website.)
To submit your entry via e-mail, 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
September 30, 2011. Winners will be
selected on or before October 3. One entry
per person is allowed. Lost, late,
misdirected, garbled, or incomplete entries
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 by an Academy employee or
employees from among all eligible entries
with the correct answer. Those whose names
Win Merchandise from MA and A Main Hobbies!
Roughly 42,000
products await
your order in the
A Main Hobbies’
warehouse.
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
September 2011 77
09sig3.QXD_00MSTRPG.QXD 7/22/11 10:44 AM Page 77
