After debuting a number of new versions of its proprietary propeller in 2024, Sharrow Engineering has dedicated much of 2025 to expanding its US production base and operations. It moved into a new production headquarters this month and is also working to team up with external manufacturing partners. At the same time, it's putting resources into jumpstarting the next era of technological breakthroughs. The future of sleek, efficient propeller technology and beyond looks bright.
Sharrow Engineering, parent company of the marine-propeller-building Sharrow Marine division, has definitely kept busy since we last looked at its work in September 2024. Earlier this year, it moved its global headquarters to the recently reopened Michigan Central station in downtown Detroit, where it also launched Sharrow Labs, its research and development hub.
This month, Sharrow announced a move of its primary production operations to a new 60,000-sq-ft (5,574-sq-m) facility in Detroit Metro's Eastland Commerce Center. The move will more than triple its production footprint, the company says, and operations will begin in September 2025.
The new facility will allow Sharrow Marine to scale production up to 2,000 units a month, helping it meet what the company quantifies as growing demand from the recreational, commercial and governmental segments. It's a part of Sharrow's greater plan to grow out a nationwide US network of 5-axis CNC manufacturing shops to meet demand for its current propellers and ramp up production of future products.
Sharrow says each manufacturing facility will meet the highest industry standards, including ISO 9001:2000 for quality management, AS9100 for aerospace manufacturing, and ITAR registration for defense-related production. It invites CNC shops interested in joining the manufacturing network to contact it.
So what exactly is it building, again?
As we've looked at in the past, Sharrow has completely reimagined the marine propeller, swapping the usual thin-edged blades with a set of closed loops designed to cut efficiency-sapping tip vortices down to virtually nil. With smoother, more effective hydrodynamics, the propellers are claimed to offer up to 30% better fuel efficiency than a traditional propeller while also cutting noise and vibration.
Sharrow has developed several different propeller models, including the mesmerizing CX stacked contra-rotator and the more mass-market-friendly MX-A small outboard propeller. The latter took a big step at addressing one of Sharrow's biggest drawbacks: uninvitingly high prices. It starts at US$1,995, which is still a far cry from inexpensive but is a solid step down from the $4,995 to $11,995 range of other variants.
Beyond propellers, Sharrow is looking toward its next chapter with Sharrow Labs. Based in Michigan Central's Newlab innovation and mobility hub, Sharrow Labs is focused on pioneering new technologies and innovations in propulsion, clean energy and next-generation mobility. It will also look to expand Sharrow's footprint into new industries, including aerospace, wind energy and defense.
Source: Sharrow
