Plant City company makes the country's only FAA-certified wooden propellers

From Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to Plant City, Sensenich is the only manufacturer of FAA-certified wood propellers in the country.

During World War II, the company employed hundreds of employees who made thousands of propellers a month. The company moved to the Bay Area in 1994 to be closer to the airboat market.

Today, a small team of artisans bevel, shave, sand, and lacquer custom two, three, four, and five-blade propellers.

A CNC machine creates perfect symmetry along the blades, pairing modern technology with decades of craftsmanship.

Today, Sensenich manufactures around 3,500 wood propellers a year.

“What we pride ourselves in is consistency," explained Don Rowell, president of Sensenich Propellers. "You could buy a propeller from us this year and you could buy the same propeller from us 20 years from now and you’re gonna get the exact same thing with the exact same performance.”

Other than airplanes and airboats, many of Sensenich’s propellers are made for unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones. They also make custom, decorative propellers.

For more information, visit sensenich.com.