Nathan Eick is a farm boy with a love of photography. As he got older and started to experiment with commercially available drones, he planned to provide a commercial aerial photography service to map crops. In November of 2017, Eick formally started the business. He soon discovered that the aircraft available to him were not up to the task, and used his engineering background to build his own system. After sharing his project on social media he discovered that people were more interested in his aircraft than his service – and people wanted to buy the planes. Nathan does not run the company by himself, but with the help of his wife. She assists with business tasks and helps Nathan manage his time and resources for the firm.
In 2019, Dual RC started manufacturing planes for sale, with Nathan as the lead designer of the ready-to-fly systems. Dual RC focuses on the performance, quality, and reliability of the aircraft while keeping it affordable and safe. They build remote control electric airplanes for a variety of uses and aim to meet each customer’s needs. They have partnered with KG Aviation, Hex/ProflCNC, and Ardupilot. When not working on remote control aircrafts, Nathan has a full-time job working in aerial surveying. His knowledge of the field can be applied in both areas, complimenting each other very well.
Dual RC is bringing small business back to their rural community of Traer. Within the coming months, they anticipate a new, larger corner location will create more visibility in the community. The plan is to grow Dual RC so that it might fund additional, exciting business opportunities and they recently hired their first employee. Eick says to anyone looking to start their own business, “Stay focused on something that you enjoy. If it is unique or better than something else available in the market, run with it. If it’s not unique or better, develop that idea into something that is.”
The help that they have received from the UNI SBDC has been tremendous to the success of their business. “Amy Dutton is the best, she asked the tough questions to make sure I had validated my assumptions. She has great resources and in-depth knowledge. I look forward to working with the SBDC for many years to come.”
Visit Dual RC at www.dualrc.com or on Facebook.