Lee Piester's interest in model rocketry was piqued in the mid-1950s, during the beginnings of what became Project Vanguard, the United States' first program to launch an artificial satellite into Earth orbit. While he was still in high school, Piester began machining parts for a group of amateur rocketeers to finance his own rocketry projects.

Piester graduated from West Phoenix High School in 1956, and attended both Phoenix College and Arizona State University. He formed "Centuri Engineering Company, Incorporated" on paper for a college class in 1961. The first Centuri catalog came out the next year. At its peak, Centuri employed a total of 170 people. Because Centuri was a mail-order company, Piester's wife Betty ran the entire sizable office staff.

Lee sold Centuri to Damon Corporation in 1971, just a year and a half after Damon purchased competitor Vern Estes' model rocket company. Lee stayed on as president and CEO of Centuri until late 1976, even after his 5-year contract with Damon ran out. He eventually became a stockbroker with the Paine-Webber brokerage firm. Betty hadn't signed any kind of contract with Damon, so she had already left Centuri in September 1975.

The Piesters opened their first "Hobby Bench" store in Phoenix, Arizona on May 8, 1976. Lee and Betty are still located in Phoenix, and there are now three other Hobby Bench stores operating in Phoenix, Glendale, and Prescott, Arizona.

Lee was invited to attend NARCON 2006 as our Friday night speaker with his wife Betty, who has been a major part of both Centuri and Hobby Bench.