From left: Chris Thompson, vice president of global sales at ePropelled; Nick Grewal, founder, chairman and CEO; and Dean Marcarelli, head of marketing. (Photo by Scott Merrill)
With President Trump’s pledge in June to increase U.S. production of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, otherwise known as drones, one Laconia-based company is stepping up to play a big role. ePropelled, a designer and manufacturer of propulsion and power management systems for drones and other uncrewed vehicles, is scaling up production at its Laconia facility as global demand shifts away from Chinese suppliers and the U.S. military accelerates drone adoption.
Founded in 2018, the company develops electric motors, hybrid propulsion systems, controllers, and power electronics for defense and commercial markets. In September, ePropelled hosted state and U.S. congressional representatives, defense partners, and industry leaders at its Laconia site, where it showcased an expanded 12,000-square-foot production line that will soon double in size.
“This is about building a U.S. alternative,” says Chris Thompson, vice president of Global Sales. “Historically, 90% of drone production and propulsion systems have been handled by China. With companies and the Department of Defense now saying, ‘We want Chinese motors off our drones,’ the market opportunity for American-made products is massive.”
ePropelled specializes in propulsion systems for both fully electric and hybrid drones, including long-range platforms used in defense operations. Thompson notes that while Ukraine produced 2.3 million drones last year, the entire U.S. military bought fewer than 4,000. Recent federal directives, including an executive order on “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” are shifting that trajectory. “[Founder, Chairman and CEO] Nick [Grewal] and I were at the Pentagon two weeks ago meeting with four different groups,” Thompson says. “There may be one or two other companies doing what we’re doing, but none are as far along as we are production-wise.”
Grewal says the company is on pace to ship 25,000 motors out of Laconia before year-end, with projections of 125,000 motors next year and the potential for tens of millions in sales. “By 2027, our goal is to produce over a million motors annually,” Grewal says. “The Department of Defense is talking about needing three to five million motors a year to achieve drone dominance globally. To meet that, we’ll need to triple or quadruple this facility.”
ePropelled employs 25 people in Laconia and expects to hire aggressively, growing to 50 within months and more than 350 over the next year. Recruiting skilled workers remains a challenge, Grewal acknowledges, but he is optimistic. “We have good margins and we’re willing to train ambitious people, even right out of school. This is precision work, winding copper coils, soldering, electronic assembly, but it’s also a great opportunity to build a career in an industry that’s only going to grow.” For more information, visit epropelled.com.
