Gator-RC
By Jay Smith |
jays@modelaircraft.org
Gator-RC, the purveyor of more than 1,000 hobby products and 300 aircraft from several manufacturers, is celebrating 10 years in business. The company has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings in Mike and Anna Mueller’s basement to now filling two warehouses!
Their story is one of a family running two successful hobby businesses. Their daughter, Ashley Hansen, is the president of Gator-RC, while Mike runs F3A Unlimited, which is focused on Pattern flying, with all of the aircraft and accessories needed.
Mike began flying in 1959 with his father and began competing in 1964. He and his father were both drawn to RC Aerobatics (Pattern) competitions. Some of that might be attributed to growing up in Chicago and rubbing elbows with Ed Kazmirski, Carl Goldberg, Sig Axelrod, and Dewey Broberg, all of whom were pioneers in the hobby. “Everybody in Chicago flew Pattern,” Mike shared with me while discussing his background in the hobby.
Mike and Anna purchased F3A Unlimited in 2014 from Chris Moon. Shortly thereafter, Mike wanted to expand the product lines they sold beyond Pattern, and he felt that another company was needed to sell warbirds, jets, and any hobby items that were not a part of Pattern flying. Gator-RC was born in late 2014.
Timing, as they say, is everything, and as luck would have it, Top RC Model was just beginning around the same time as Gator-RC. The two companies partnered, with Gator-RC selling warbirds and jets. A visit to the Top RC Model website proudly states, “Gator-RC is the exclusive distributor of Top RC Model’s high-quality RC Scale Warbirds, RC Jets, Pattern Planes in North America.”
In 2017, Gator-RC became a US distributor of Seagull Models, which has an extensive product line and has been producing RC models since 1998. In 2022, SebArt, the aircraft company started by Sebastiano Silvestri, was added to the list of aircraft manufacturers that the company distributes.
Top RC Model, Seagull Models, and SebArt provide roughly 300 aircraft available to purchase from Gator-RC. I inquired of Mike and Ashley how involved they are with the development of new aircraft, color schemes, and testing through their partnerships with these aircraft manufacturers.
Ashley explained that they talk to all three companies on nearly a daily basis and provide a lot of input on many aspects of new aircraft development. One example was working with Seagull Models to release the Proud Bird that was developed through Jim Allen. The Seagull Models aircraft became a Gator-RC exclusive.
Gator-RC’s rapid growth has also allowed the company to purchase some smaller companies and product lines that make sense for the business. One such example is Pro Grip and the Pro Grip transmitter tray. This is an excellent tray that I reviewed several years ago. I still use it and it has become a Gator-RC-owned brand.
As I mentioned previously, F3A Unlimited and Gator-RC are family owned and operated. Mike’s daughter, Ashley, who is armed with a degree in marketing and a lot of experience, joined Gator-RC and became the company’s president in 2018. Mike’s praise of Ashley and what she has been able to accomplish goes beyond being a proud father. He shared that her marketing experience and knowledge have greatly moved the company forward and are key to its success.
If you are wondering what the “secret sauce” is for a company to experience continual growth year after year, even while going through a global pandemic, it comes down to three things, in my opinion, after getting to know Mike and Ashley. It starts with a family-owned-and-operated company. Add to that an extensive product line that continues to rapidly grow and, likely the most important to customers, a high prioritization of customer service and satisfaction, and you have a company that’s destined for success.
When I asked what they are most proud of when it comes to F3A Unlimited and Gator-RC, Ashley’s answer reinforces the company’s customer focus. She said,
“One of the reasons why people love us is because we answer the phone. We have a very high level of customer service, and we take orders over the phone.”
They both admitted that, while being primarily an e-commerce company, they were happy to speak to their customers to answer questions, take orders, or provide technical support. They even allow customers to pick up their orders at their warehouse.
Because the trend with some businesses seems to be moving away from telephone support in favor of email or chat, it is refreshing to hear Mike and Ashley stress the importance of being a phone call away from their customers.
When Mike shared what he was proud of, he mentioned his wife and Ashley and stated, “We have done well and we have great ideas for continuing to grow the company.”
It was clear to me after our conversation that F3A Unlimited and Gator-RC are truly success stories, and both companies won’t be going anywhere but up in the future.
SOURCES:
Gator-RC
(800) 380-9373
www.gator-rc.com
F3A Unlimited
(800) 591-2875
www.f3aunlimited.com
Jay Smith
(765) 287-1256, ext. 225
jays@modelaircraft.org
AMA
5161 E. Memorial Dr.
Muncie IN 47302
(765) 287-1256
www.modelaircraft.org
