The reunion of young people

Members of the SBC Dai Viet Club visited the tea plantation of An Van Tra Cooperative.

Philosophy of "Relying on nature"

For a long time, we often talk about "leaving the city to return to the countryside", but the story of Hoang Thi Thuy Van, Director of An Van Tra Cooperative, is a journey of "bringing the city to the countryside".

After graduating from university and working in Hanoi , a health incident (food poisoning) became a turning point. Van realized that her greatest asset was her family's half-century-old tea plantation.

But to be successful, love alone is not enough. After a series of training days in the PDCA business training environment (where many experts co-founded SBC, gathering hundreds of leading CEOs nationwide), Van researched and drew out the product philosophy "Relying on nature".

Upon returning, Van built a production model that maintained 100% traditional processing methods to preserve the old tea flavor while applying the "weeding" method to detoxify the soil, self-nourish, and help the tea plants grow healthily. Standardizing the family's tea gardens, An Van Tra Cooperative achieved ISO certification in August 2021.

This methodical step has brought the company's tea products into large supply chains in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and exported informally to demanding markets such as the US and Germany. To increase value, An Van Tra not only sells tea but also sells experiences.

In the first step of experimenting with combining agriculture with experiential tourism, turning the tea garden into a "healing place", An Van Tra has created a unique added value, attracting international tourists, including representatives of the Malaysian Consulate General.

Director of An Van Tra Cooperative introduces products at SBC Dai Viet Club.

Now, as the Head of the SBC Dai Viet Club Membership Management Board, Van shared: My three brothers and I once promised never to return to the bamboo village because we saw our parents working too hard. But when I was equipped with business knowledge, I realized that the countryside is where I belong. I want to develop agriculture and experiential tourism in parallel, based on the advantages of Tam Dao mountains and forests and the clear streams of our homeland.

Create a supportive "ecosystem"

The success of An Van Tra Cooperative has a big mark of the supporting community, SBC Dai Viet. From an economic perspective, one of the biggest pressures of small and medium-sized business owners today is the loneliness in making decisions.

Mr. Luc Xuan Viet (Trinh Viet Co., Ltd., Phan Dinh Phung Ward, Thai Nguyen Province) shared: Owners face a lot of pressure regarding operations, branding, capital... These difficulties are difficult to share with relatives. If prolonged, it will cause us to make unwise decisions and can cause great harm to the business. SBC Dai Viet is part of the community founded by automation expert Hoang Dinh Trong (also a son of Thai Nguyen), to solve that problem.

Mr. Ngo Van Phuc, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SBC Dai Viet, analyzed: We have the desire to create the heart and vision for business people. We do not stop at theory. We go to the place, like at An Van Tra today to experience and learn the process of our teammates, at the same time give suggestions to perfect the model and improve their leadership capacity. This is the model of "peer learning" and "mutual assessment".

Mr. Ngo Van Phuc emphasized the core value of “trust”: When we have experienced and understood the product, we can use our reputation to guarantee it. We are proud of An Van Tra’s journey of “digging the soil and turning the grass” to develop the product. That trust is the basis for us to cross-sell products to each other. The difference of the SBC community is that they do not only talk about “sales”.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thuy Van said: The club organizes many activities for entrepreneurs to develop comprehensively in Mind - Body - Spirit before developing their businesses. Then, it supports improving business thinking, optimizing processes to achieve sustainable success. The "real combat" process at An Van Tra is an example. Members do not just come to drink tea. They observe, listen and give feedback.

Mr. Ha Manh Cuong, owner of a motorbike repair shop in Pho Yen ward, a son of Phu Tho, shared: Although I have not yet inherited the family business, I want to learn the mindset and operation of this tea making model so that I can bring it back to my hometown to support my relatives. Who knows, this will be a valuable experience for me in the future. From a specific model, knowledge is spread and multiplied.

The contents of the discussions of the Club members are valuable experiences for those who are in business.

The contents of the discussions between club members are valuable experiences for those who are doing business.

Mr. Pham Dinh Duy, President of SBC Dai Viet Club from Ho Chi Minh City commented: Today's experience is wonderful. This method is very interesting and worth learning, not only in Thai Nguyen but also very useful for small producers in large tea regions like Lam Dong.

The trip to La Bang was a field “workshop” on sustainable business. Club members experienced tea picking, tea drying, visiting Cua Tu stream and practicing meditation in the middle of nature. They came to a model of “relying on nature” and left with lessons on “systematic business”.

An Van Tra, from a local cooperative, is becoming a meeting place, a source of inspiration. The story of Hoang Thi Thuy Van and the support from the SBC Dai Viet community shows a clear path for young entrepreneurs that: success does not come from solitary efforts but from building a decent product, a systematic business model and a mutually supportive ecosystem.

La Bang land with its slightly bitter but sweet tea flavor is witnessing a new generation of entrepreneurs, who connect with each other to reach success in a sustainable and humane way.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202511/cuoc-hoi-ngo-cua-nguoi-tre-8aa2a56/