What Rhinestahl does

Rhinestahl Corporation, now operating as RH Aero Systems following its May 2024 acquisition of HYDRO Systems GmbH & Co. KG, is a privately held, family-controlled aerospace and advanced manufacturing company founded in 1967 and headquartered in Mason, Ohio. The company operates two complementary divisions. Rhinestahl Customer Tooling Solutions (CTS) is the world's leading OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling provider for commercial, military, and aeroderivative aviation, holding exclusive tooling licenses from GE Aerospace, CFM International, and Rolls-Royce. Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) provides precision CNC machining (including 3-, 4-, and 5-axis milling), precision welding, complex fabrication, and contract assembly for aerospace, defense, space, and transportation customers.

The company generates revenue through four streams: OEM engine tooling sales (one-time licensed purchases), ground support equipment hardware sales, aftermarket repair and upgrade services through 26 OEM-certified service centers globally, and advanced manufacturing contract services. Pricing is custom and quote-based, with multi-year contracts typical for tooling programs (quotes valid 90 days, payment terms generally 30 days from shipment). Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with dedicated account teams serving airlines, MROs, OEMs, and aerospace manufacturers directly across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.

Rhinestahl maintains AS9100D, ISO 9001, ITAR, NAVSEA, and ASME BPE-2012 certifications, and supports notable enterprise customers including BAE Systems (Supplier of the Year 2020), GE Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Copa Airlines, and UAMCO. The company doubled its workforce in recent years, surpassed $100 million in annual sales as of 2018 (placing it in the Cincinnati Fast 55 top revenue bucket for 2015–2017 growth), and has pursued sustained global expansion including a new 2,800 sqm Dubai South facility in February 2025 and a 2019 Derby, UK operations center. Leadership was substantially renewed in late 2024 and early 2025 with the appointment of Anthony Turner as President and new EVP-level hires in finance and supply chain.

Name

Rhinestahl

Legal name

Rhinestahl Corporation

Website

https://rhinestahl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rhinestahl Corporation (operating as RH Aero Systems) is a privately held, OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling and aftermarket services provider for commercial, military, and aeroderivative aviation, plus a precision contract manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, space, and transportation customers through 26 global service centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Engine Tooling and Manufacturing Services

NAICS

Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing (3336), Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing (333618)

SIC

Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Engine Control, Fuel & Ignition Systems (FADEC/Accessories) (IMABADAK)

Keywords

• Aerospace engine tooling
• Ground support equipment
• Precision manufacturing services
• Aviation MRO tooling
• OEM turbine tooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Mason

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. OEM Engine Tooling: Design, manufacture, and sale of OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling for commercial, military, and aeroderivative industries. Revenue from direct tooling sales to airlines, MROs, and aerospace manufacturers.
2. Ground Support Equipment: Sale and support of aircraft ground support equipment including engine stands, handling equipment, and specialized GSE for engine maintenance operations.
3. Aftermarket Services: Comprehensive repair, upgrade, and lifecycle support services for LEAP, GE, and Rolls-Royce MROs through 26 OEM-certified global service centers.
4. Advanced Manufacturing Services: Precision machining, fabrication, assembly, and contract manufacturing services for aerospace, defense, space, and transportation industries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rhinestahl designs, manufactures, and supports OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling for commercial, military, and aeroderivative aviation, holding exclusive licenses from GE, CFM International, and Rolls-Royce. Through its Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG), it provides precision CNC machining, fabrication, contract assembly, and welding for aerospace, defense, space, and transportation customers. Following its May 2024 acquisition of HYDRO Systems, the combined entity operates as RH Aero Systems with 26 OEM-certified service centers delivering global aftermarket support.

Product overview

Rhinestahl is a high-tech, privately-held company serving the aviation and advanced manufacturing industries through two complementary business units. Rhinestahl Customer Tooling Solutions (CTS) is the world's leading OEM engine tooling provider for commercial, military, and aeroderivative industries, offering OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling, ground support equipment, and aftermarket services for LEAP, GE, and Rolls-Royce engines. Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) provides advanced machining, precision grinding, complex fabrication, and contract assembly services for aerospace, space, defense, and transportation industries. In May 2024, Rhinestahl acquired HYDRO Systems to form RH Aero Systems, combining CTS with HYDRO's capabilities to create a global leader in aviation support equipment and services with 26 OEM-certified service centers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rhinestahl Customer Tooling Solutions (CTS): The world's leading OEM engine tooling provider for commercial, military and aeroderivative industries, providing aircraft engine tooling and ground support equipment.
• Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG)
• RH Aero Systems

Products and services

• Rhinestahl Customer Tooling Solutions (CTS) OEM-licensed turbine engine tooling division serving commercial, military, and aeroderivative aviation markets with licensed tools for GE, CFM International, and Rolls-Royce engines, plus global aftermarket support through 26 OEM-certified service centers.
• Rhinestahl Advanced Manufacturing Group (AMG) Precision manufacturing division offering advanced machining, precision grinding, complex fabrication, contract assembly, and welding services for aerospace, space, defense, and transportation customers.
• LEAP Engine Tooling and Services Comprehensive tooling support program for CFM International LEAP engines including OEM-certified tooling, repair, and upgrade support available through a unified global service center network.
• XWB Engine Handling Solution Engineered solution designed for safe handling and maintenance of Extra Wide Body (XWB) aircraft engines such as those on the Airbus A350.
• FutureDriveNG+ Electronic Turning Tool Electronic turning tool that automates gas turbine engine borescope inspection, reducing labor and time while delivering accurate results; first such tool to receive Rolls-Royce OEM qualification.
• Landing Gear Equipment MLGTMULTI-2 Multi-aircraft landing gear towing equipment engineered for Airbus and Boeing widebody aircraft maintenance operations.
• OEM-certified APU Stands OEM-certified Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) stands distributed to airlines and MROs through a partnership with Nextgen Aerosupport.
• Ground Support Equipment Comprehensive range of aviation ground support equipment including engine stands, handling equipment, and specialized GSE for engine maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations.
• CNC Precision Machining Services Contract CNC machining services including 3, 4, and 5-axis milling and turning capabilities for aerospace, defense, space, and transportation customers.
• Contract Assembly Services Build-to-print and engineering-for-manufacturing contract assembly of complex mechanical, electromechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems for capital equipment customers.
• Precision Welding Services Specialized TIG/MIG welding services for precision manufacturing applications, performed by multiple ASME BPE-2012 certified welders.
• Quality Engineering and Inspection Quality engineering services including CMM inspection, load testing, and in-process and final inspections to verify conformance to customer and aerospace specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% accuracy achieved for IODP assembly project
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• HYDRO Systems GmbH & Co. KGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Rhinestahl acquired HYDRO Systems GmbH & Co. KG in May 2024, creating RH Aero Systems as the new corporate brand. This acquisition strengthened Rhinestahl's tooling and support services capabilities, combining two industry leaders in aviation tooling and ground support equipment.
• GE AerospacecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGE Aerospace partnered with Rhinestahl for LEAP engine MRO capabilities strengthening in collaboration with UAMCO. Rhinestahl holds OEM Authorized Tooling Provider designation from GE.
• UAMCOsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration with GE Aerospace and Rhinestahl to strengthen MRO capabilities for LEAP engines, reinforcing RH Aero Systems' role in the LEAP engine aftermarket support ecosystem.
• Rolls-RoycecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerRolls-Royce partnered with Rhinestahl and Waygate Technologies to develop AI-powered Intelligent Borescope inspection technology. Rhinestahl is designated as Rolls-Royce Preferred Supplier and developed FutureDriveNG+ which received Rolls-Royce OEM qualification.
• CFM InternationalcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerRhinestahl holds Licensed Supplier status for CFM LEAP Tooling. Serves as exclusive LEAP-1B tooling provider for customers like Copa Airlines and provides comprehensive aftermarket support through global service centers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AAR Corp: AAR Corp is a global aerospace aftermarket provider offering parts supply, MRO, and integrated solutions across commercial and government aviation. Comparable to Rhinestahl in serving the aviation aftermarket, but with much broader scope across components, parts distribution, and MRO.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell Aerospace manufactures propulsion systems, avionics, and aftermarket components with its own OEM service network. Comparable to Rhinestahl in operating an aerospace OEM tooling and aftermarket model (Honeywell as OEM, Rhinestahl as tooling licensee), though at vastly greater scale.
• Lufthansa Technik: Lufthansa Technik is one of the world's leading aerospace MRO and technical services providers covering engines, components, and aircraft. Comparable to Rhinestahl CTS as a large incumbent in aviation tooling and aftermarket, but at significantly greater scale and broader service portfolio.
• Aviation Technical Services (ATS): ATS is a major US-based third-party MRO provider offering airframe, component, and engine maintenance services. Comparable to Rhinestahl's aftermarket services business (LEAP MRO support, 26 service centers) as part of a broader aerospace services portfolio.
• StandardAero: StandardAero is one of the world's largest independent engine MRO providers serving commercial aviation, business aviation, and aeroderivative markets. Comparable to Rhinestahl's aftermarket tooling and service offerings in LEAP, GE, and Rolls-Royce engine ecosystems.

Direct peers

• JBT AeroTech: JBT AeroTech is a leading global supplier of aviation ground support equipment including air conditioning units, loaders, deicers, and aircraft tow tractors. Comparable to Rhinestahl CTS/HYDRO ground support product line and target customers (airports, airlines, ground handlers).
• Hydraulics International (HII): HII manufactures hydraulic ground support equipment, engine stands, and maintenance tooling for aerospace and defense. Comparable niche player in aviation tooling and GSE with overlapping customer base of airlines, MROs, and defense agencies.
• TLD Group: TLD (previously TLD America/Allegis) is a major manufacturer of aircraft ground support equipment including towbarless tractors, belt loaders, and container loaders. Direct competitor in commercial aviation GSE with similar global service center footprint and aftermarket business model.
• Malabar: Malabar is a US-based manufacturer of aircraft jacks, tow bars, engine stands, and other GSE serving commercial aviation, military, and MRO customers. Closely comparable to Rhinestahl's engine stands, handling equipment, and OEM-certified tooling portfolio.
• Tronair: Tronair is one of the largest manufacturers of aviation ground support equipment (GSE), engine tooling, and maintenance stands for commercial, business, and military aviation. Highly comparable to Rhinestahl CTS in product category, customer base (airlines and MROs), and business model of OEM-licensed and proprietary GSE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rhinestahlcts

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rhinestahl