Hawkins Inducted into Amusement Hall of Fame

D&R Star’s Hawkins Receives Legacy Hall of Fame Honor

The American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) Amusement Industry Hall of Fame recently inducted the late Richard “Dick” Hawkins into the Legacy Class of 2024. This award is in honor of outstanding contributions to the coin-op and location-based entertainment industry. D&R Star’s general manager Bill Hofschulte (center) accepted the award in his honor. He is pictured with Jeff Blair, AAMA President, and Pete Gustafson, AAMA Executive Director.

Hawkins founded D&R Inc. (later to become D&R Star) in Rochester, Minnesota in 1963. On his home turf, he was president of the Minnesota Operators of Music and Amusements (MOMA). Nationally, he served terms as president for the Amusement and Music Operators Association (AMOA) and the Better Vendors Association and was a founder and board member of both the Valley National 8-Ball League Association (VNEA) and the National Dart Association (NDA).

Richard worked closely with his son Michael Hawkins who ran the business after Richard passed away in 2017. In 2022, Lieberman Companies acquired D&R Star’s amusement and ATM routes. A family-owned business founded in 1907, Lieberman Companies is an ATM distributor and nationwide certified ISO processor. The company operates an amusement route in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area called American Amusement Arcades (AAA) and offers game rentals for special events.