Blog

October marks the 3rd annual Ohio Manufacturing Month. Hartzell proudly traces its roots in Ohio back more than 100 years to the original Hartzell Hardwoods of Piqua, Ohio. The wood processed on those saw mills would later be used to create propellers for some of aviation’s greatest innovators, including the Wright brothers. Over the years, aircraft props would become synonymous with the town of Piqua, earning it the name “Propeller Town USA.”

The century since George Hartzell founded the Hartzell Walnut Propeller Company has brought tremendous change to processes and materials we use to create the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft propellers. Aluminum and advanced composite props have replaced wooden airplane propellers, manufacturing apparatus now mill parts down to the finest specifications imaginable and our propellers are regularly shipped across the world. One thing, however, remains steadfast and unchanging: our commitment to excellence and quality manufacturing, driven by the values that have made Ohio the backbone of American industry for over 200 years. We still value and reward hard work. We still encourage education and innovation. And, most of all, we still love to fly.

This month, take time to think about incredible people who make up America’s manufacturing industries. They are doers and makers; the fruits of their labor represent so much of what we consider “modern” life. Hartzell’s journey from hardwoods to propellers to the pinnacle of aviation engineering is not a journey we have undertaken alone; thanks to manufacturing, we have all come a long way.

Want to take an inside look at our manufacturing operation? Check out this video about the props we’re supplying for The 2014 Red Bull Air Race, and tune into the race this weekend in Las Vegas: