Skyview is literally reaching for the sky as profit soars.

The Guizhou-based drone manufacturer expects sales to double to 6 million yuan ($968,400) this year compared with 2014.

"We have really huge market potential," said Zhang Ruixin, the company's co-founder..

Skyview might not be the biggest player in the unmanned aerial vehicles industry, but it is growing fast and increasing its market share.

In the first quarter, Skyview reported sales of 1.5 million yuan, which was just 200,000 yuan less than the company's entire 2013 revenue stream.

But then, the secret of Skyveiw's success has been to carefully target the marketplace. The company mainly supplies UAVs to China's armed forces, police and fire services, producing 10 drones a month from its factory in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province.

Zhang pointed out that Skyview is the industry's leading research and development company in Southwest China, specializing in aerial photography.

From humble beginnings, it has become one of the sector's highfliers. The success story started eight years ago when Zhang noticed that foreign rivals were using model airplanes to take aerial shots before switching to drones.

"We saw a gap in the market in China," he said, adding that he researched the UAV market on the Internet before setting up Skyview in 2008.

Drones are now widely used in scientific research, ground mapping and fire control. This year, the market is expected to be worth about $1.7 billion, according to a report by Mary Meeker, the respected venture capitalist and former Wall Street securities analyst in the United States.

China will be at the forefront as the sector expands, and Skyview is hoping to grow into one of the big players. "We want to lead in a certain segment of the market such as the army, police and fire services," Zhang said.

The company's largest client is the fire service in Hunan province although they also have contracts with the Chinese armed forces and the police. Besides selling UAVs, Skyview provides training for its clients on handling drones.

"Our customers can also get tailor-made drones," Zhang said. "These are products the major companies do not provide."

Even so, Skyview has had help breaking into the market. The company's partner, Dajiang Innovations Technology Co Ltd, is a leading UAV manufacturer based in Shenzhen.

In order to work closely with Skyview, DJI located its software development research center to Guizhou. But the partnership works both ways, and Skyview opened it first drone sales store in China in April. The outlet sells DLT products to customers, and helps with training and after-sales service.

"The rapid development of drones has been a boost for China," Liu Cheng, a professor at Guanghua School of Management of Peking University and director of the school's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said. "The country stands out in drone technology, and there is potential to make further breakthroughs."

Still, there will be challenging days ahead as Zhang and his 15-strong workforce are finding out.

Brand awareness is a key concern as corporate clients prefer famous names. Being located in Southwest China is another hurdle to overcome in attracting talented staff. But Zhang is still confident about the future.

"We need to focus on our current business and accumulate money to support our research and development," he said. "They are the priorities."

Contact the writers at wangwen@chinadaily.com.cn and yangjun@chinadaily.com.cn

Ou Xinfa in Guiyang contributed to this story.

(China Daily USA 06/16/2015 page16)