ePropelled plans expansion to triple production of drone motors

LACONIA — A global manufacturer of motors and controllers used in unmanned vehicles on land, air and sea, ePropelled, Inc. will host an invitation-only open house on Tuesday, Sept. 9, to talk about the industry’s hypergrowth and the firm’s rapid response, and showcase its soon-to-be expanded facility.

Local dignitaries, state legislators, customers and potential employees will get a glimpse of new equipment; manufacturing lines that turn copper and a host of parts into the powerful, advanced drone motors; and hear about a planned expansion to double the existing facility, and triple output.

“People will be wowed by how much automation we have and the output,” said Dean Marcarelli, head of global marketing for ePropelled. 

ePropelled’s drone motors are used in four primary markets: military, law enforcement, and agricultural and inspection companies. The military sector is particularly active now, Marcarelli said, and the industry as a whole is projected to grow to $58.4 billion by 2026.

According to Marcarelli, ePropelled is the first U.S.-based drone component solutions manufacturer with a supply chain that meets Department of Defense compliance standards.

Nick Grewal, ePropelled’s founder, chair and chief executive officer, launched the business in 2018, in Lawrence, Massachusetts, then expanded to Airport Road in Gilford in 2020. Three years ago, the business expanded to its current location, and the Lawrence space was closed. Last year, the Gilford space folded into the Laconia site. The company also has facilities in the United Kingdom and India.

Grewal, a driven leader, was named a 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee during the Boston Smart Business Dealmakers of the Year Awards in April. He’s an experienced technology entrepreneur and investor in over 40 high-tech companies and was one of five CEOs recognized this year for shaping the landscape of business and innovation at the March Middle-Market M&A Conference in Boston.

Marcarelli explained ePropelled is unique and in high demand because it sells hardware — the drone motors — as well as software that measures the motors’ performance from speed to health to power. Most companies sell only hardware.

Many competitors also only sell in one sector of the industry — land, air or sea — while ePropelled crosses the spectrum. “It’s a $100 billion industry when you combine all three,” Marcarelli said.

“We do everything from a very small drone motor ... to very large, hybrid propulsion systems that power much larger drones. Our power systems are very broad,” he added. “We have a large power range.”

Some of ePropelled’s systems also have generators that charge the motor’s batteries while the drone is flying on hybrid fuel, and can revert back to battery after the charge is complete.

To meet global demand, ePropelled is doubling its 12,000-square-foot facility, and, once complete in 2026, Marcarelli said the annual build capacity will be 100,000-plus motors — three times the current output.

“We’re adding 50 to 100 jobs over the next 12 months,” he added, bringing the total employee count to about 350. “We plan to go from making hundreds of thousands of motors to millions of motors in the course of 36 months.”

The United States is catching up with drone use on a wide scale, and that is, in part, driving the growth of the market.

“Drones are becoming more valuable both on the military side and the commercial side,” Marcarelli said, explaining drones are used in hazardous zones and situations — from military battle to precarious inspection sites — that could result in loss of life for a human. “You can send a drone in. That’s a lot better than sending a man or woman into these hazardous zones.”

Previously, China dominated the drone industry, holding 70% of the market, but regulatory changes in the military sector in the form of a ban by the U.S. Department of Commerce against a major Chinese supplier created a more urgent need for domestic suppliers.

“We see this as a chance to revolutionize the industry,” Grewal said. “Let’s transform what may initially appear as bad news into an incredible opportunity.”