Beehive acquires Able Tool and Planet Products to scale AM engine production
Beehive Industries, a manufacturer of advanced propulsion systems for uncrewed aerial defence applications, based in Denver, Colorado, USA, has acquired the assets of Able Tool Corporation and its subsidiary, Planet Products Corporation, both located in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, area.
The acquisition comes as Beehive’s Frenzy engine enters full-rate production. Over the past year, Beehive has validated its Frenzy 8 engine through ground and high-altitude testing, demonstrating its performance, durability and readiness. The programme also received a $29.7 million contract from the US Air Force.
Beehive is now expanding its manufacturing capacity to meet demand. Earlier this month, the company announced the purchase of thirty EOS metal Additive Manufacturing machines. The investment more than doubles Beehive’s metal AM capacity, enabling increased production of its additively manufactured jet engines.
This recent acquisition of Able Tool and Planet Products adds production-ready machining capability. According to Beehive, these investments support its objective of producing more than 8,000 engines annually.
The acquisition also establishes two dedicated Centres of Excellence: a Production Machining Centre of Excellence in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Production Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Ohio facility will focus on high-volume machining, while the Tennessee site will serve as the company’s Additive Manufacturing production centre, supporting multiple metal AM technologies and post-processing operations.
Able Tool was founded in 1984 by Dan and Jan Hayes and has established expertise in precision aerospace machining. Planet Products traces its history back to 1947. Together, the companies have supplied precision components to the aerospace sector for decades.
“This is a move for scale,” said Darius Ehteshami, Chief Operations and Finance Officer at Beehive Industries. “Frenzy is entering full-rate production, and our customers need engines now. This acquisition gives us immediate precision machining capability, proven talent, and the operational experience to scale with confidence, at the speed the modern warfighter demands.”
“Beehive is building something that matters,” explained Paul Hayes, president and co-owner of Able and Planet. “We’ve spent decades establishing a precision machining footprint supporting American manufacturing. Joining Beehive allows that experience to have even greater impact: a mission to power American defence while scaling at a level we couldn’t achieve alone.”
Dan Hayes, co-founder of Able and Planet co-owner, added, “What Beehive is doing, bringing advanced manufacturing and propulsion together at scale, is the future. This was the right next step for our people, our capabilities, and the legacy we’ve built.”
Beehive announced that it also plans to expand its workforce across both sites, with recruitment focused on machining, Additive Manufacturing and engineering roles.
