Beehive Industries is parking some serious money in Southwest Ohio, pledging a $70 million investment and more than 200 new jobs as it scales up production of 3D-printed jet engines. The company unveiled the expansion at the Farnborough International Airshow today, tapping the Cincinnati region as its hub for machining, assembly and testing of its Frenzy engine family. The move pairs a large buy of metal additive gear with freshly acquired local machining capacity as Beehive shifts from testing into high-rate production.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati stood alongside Beehive for the announcement, quickly framing the deal as a big win for the state’s aerospace supply chain. As outlined by JobsOhio, the company plans to seek a Job Creation Tax Credit and other assistance while the final site and incentive package are hammered out.
Frenzy engine, defense ties and production targets
Beehive’s Frenzy 8 turbojet, described by industry outlets as a roughly 200-pound-thrust engine built for swarm-class unmanned systems, has already cleared ground and high-altitude testing and is now lining up for flight demonstrations. The program also landed a roughly $29.7 million award from the U.S. Air Force to support integration and qualification, according to reporting by Defense Post.
Local footprint and manufacturing ramp-up
To speed up its manufacturing push, Beehive bought assets from two Greater Cincinnati machine shops, Able Tool Corporation and Planet Products, and says it will turn that base into a Production Machining Center of Excellence for the region, according to a company announcement. The company has also gone big on metal additive systems, placing a large order for EOS M4 ONYX printers to expand its printing capacity, industry reporting shows. Together, those investments are intended to build the manufacturing system needed to produce more than 8,000 engines a year once Beehive is at full scale.
Jobs, incentives and next steps
State officials say an incentive package is being tailored to support the new positions and that a Job Creation Tax Credit will be taken up at an upcoming Tax Credit Authority meeting. JobsOhio and REDI Cincinnati have committed to help coordinate workforce and site-preparation support as the details are finalized.
Local business coverage notes the deal drops Cincinnati squarely into the supply chain for swarm-class military drones and missiles, and that leaders chose the Farnborough airshow as the stage for the reveal. As first reported by the Cincinnati Business Courier, more granular site information and hiring timelines are expected once the incentive agreements are signed.
Officials have not put out a public construction schedule yet, but local permitting and membership records already show Beehive activity in Clermont County, a sign the company has been quietly building its Ohio footprint for months. For anyone tracking the project, the first clear look at site location, phasing and hiring dates is likely to come through Tax Credit Authority filings and updates from REDI Cincinnati.
