Harry Higley

During the 1960s and 1970s Harry Higley flew competition Control Line Navy Carrier. His family supplied handmade throttles that worked – at least some of the time, which was the start of the company.

By 1977 we offered several metal products made on automatic screw machines. That same year we incorporated and exhibited at our first Toledo Weak Signals Show. The attendees liked the Biso Brass Tubing Bender and Heavy Hub. Encouraged by these modest successes we went home and set out to design other gadgets including wire benders, safety spinners, an aluminum glow plug caddy and a smoke system.

In 1980 we published Harry’s Handbook for Miniature Engines. That proved to us that there was a demand for more manuals. Our next book, There Are No Secrets, put our young company on the map. In the subsequent years eighteen more books followed. They covered such subjects as composite construction, how to get started in RC, control line modeling and how to cover a model airplane with plastics coverings that were becoming available.

In 1986 I left my full time job to concentrate on our surprisingly successful family business. Harry and Cora Higley ran their basement operation for about thirty-five years and then decided it was time to retire. Sullivan Products bought the company and continue to run it to this day.