Adapt to succeed.
“Establishing a business in the South is not a simple journey. The investment and business environment is vibrant, favorable, and open, but it demands a high level of knowledge, experience, and especially adaptability. What I have achieved today is probably thanks to correctly identifying market needs, choosing the right investment direction, and knowing how to overcome obstacles,” said Mr. Nguyen Van Duc, Director of Hoang Minh Duc Wood Production Co., Ltd., speaking in his distinctive Quang Tri accent as our car weaved through the busy traffic from Thu Duc, Ho Chi Minh City, to Phu Giao district, Binh Duong province, where his company's wood production factory is located.
Mr. Nguyen Van Duc (on the right) inspects a stage in the production of laminated wood panels - Photo: HN
Along the approximately 50-kilometer route, our conversation was frequently interrupted by phone calls between the businessman and his partners and company employees regarding business matters. “The work is proceeding according to plan, but this morning we had to deal with some issues regarding raw materials in Tay Ninh . The wood sizes weren't uniform, and the volume exceeded our transportation capacity, so the team called for advice. Someone from my hometown came to visit, so I was a little late; normally, I would have been at the factory by now,” Mr. Duc shared.
The factory of Hoang Minh Duc Wood Production Co., Ltd. is nestled amidst vast, lush green rubber forests. Taking me on a tour of the 20,000 m2 factory and office complex, filled with machinery and equipment representing a total investment of nearly 240 billion VND, and employing 200 technical staff and workers busily producing various types of veneer, plywood, and laminated wood panels for both domestic and export markets, Mr. Duc didn't elaborate much on the company's formation and production process. However, I understood that this was the result of a long journey of overcoming difficulties, innovation, and high adaptability on the part of this businessman from Quang Tri .
“To produce products, such as this batch of laminated wood panels supplied to furniture manufacturers for export, the company purchases raw materials from liquidated rubber forests in Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, etc., and then proceeds with the production process to produce the finished product. The company's technology and production processes are currently quite modern, and the team of skilled technicians and workers ensures that all products meet the requirements of our partners, so the company's production and business are stable,” Mr. Duc said amidst the noise of machinery.
What is admirable about Mr. Nguyen Van Duc is his constant concern for the well-being of the 200 workers in his company, most of whom come from the Mekong Delta provinces. Besides a salary of 10-12 million VND per person per month and guaranteed benefits according to the law, in 2024, seeing many workers struggling to find temporary accommodation, Mr. Duc decided to invest 3 billion VND in building a two-story, 50-room housing complex within the company grounds to provide free accommodation for nearly 150 workers.
“Having sturdy, spacious housing for free, and only paying for electricity based on actual usage, makes us workers very happy because we save a considerable amount of money each month to use for other things. Commuting to work is also very convenient as it's just a few steps from the factory. Because we are cared for, all the workers feel secure and committed to the company,” said Ms. Thach Thi Kieu, from Soc Trang province, excitedly when we visited the room she shares with three colleagues.
Over the past few years, Mr. Duc has dedicated significant resources to charitable activities, such as participating in and sponsoring numerous tennis tournaments organized by the Hai Lang, Trieu Phong, and Cam Lo District Associations in Ho Chi Minh City to raise funds to support the poor and underprivileged students in his hometown. In 2020, to contribute to supporting Quang Tri province, which suffered heavy damage from floods, Mr. Duc's family organized visits and donated gifts to people in Dong Ha City and the districts of Vinh Linh, Cam Lo, and Dakrong, with a total expenditure of approximately 200 million VND...
A production line of Hoang Minh Duc Wood Production Co., Ltd. - Photo: HN
In 1989, Duc left Dong Ha town to study at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics. His impoverished hometown of Lap Thach (Dong Le) and the years of hardship and worry about making ends meet in Saigon motivated him to strive for academic excellence.
In 1993, Mr. Duc graduated from university and joined a company specializing in supplying school equipment for the Ministry of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City. After 25 years holding various positions at this company, in 2021, Mr. Duc decided to quit to seek new experiences.
“With the experience and skills we’ve accumulated, my family and I decided to establish Hoang Minh Duc Wood Production Co., Ltd. in November 2021. The field of producing veneer, plywood, and laminated wood panels is currently very vibrant with the participation and competition of many domestic and foreign businesses. The key is to adapt quickly, prioritize quality, reasonable prices, and respect for customers to build the reputation and brand of the business,” Mr. Duc shared.
- With your resources and experience, do you plan to invest in production and business in Quang Tri?
"People from Quang Tri always have a deep affection for their homeland, no matter where they go or what they do. The area of planted forests for large timber in my hometown is quite large, so I'm also nurturing the idea of developing production activities in Quang Tri. Contributing to the development of my homeland has always been my wish," Mr. Duc shared.
The person who took the Bidrico beverage brand to new heights.
Despite being very busy, when he heard that someone from Quang Tri was visiting, Mr. Nguyen Dang Hien, Chairman of Tan Quang Minh Production and Trading Company Limited (Tan Quang Minh Company), enthusiastically arranged a meeting for me at the company's headquarters in Vinh Loc Industrial Park, Binh Chanh District, Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr. Nguyen Dang Hien (in white shirt) introduces some Bidrico brand beverage products - Photo: HN
Born in 1953, Nguyen Dang Hien left his hometown in Co Luu, Hai Ba commune, Hai Lang district, and moved to Saigon in the 9th grade. Witnessing the hardships of many people struggling to make a living due to a lack of proper education, he told himself that only by studying hard and accumulating a lot of knowledge and skills could he succeed in life.
After graduating from university, Mr. Hien held various positions before becoming a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Banking. Later, he served as the head of operations and manager of a large food processing company in Saigon. In 1992, recognizing the potential of the beverage market, this native of Quang Tri decided to open Hoang Minh Beverage Production Facility, specializing in producing Bidrico-branded drinks, with an initial capital of 10.5 million VND, the predecessor of Tan Quang Minh Company.
“When we first started operating, the company only had 26 workers, not much machinery, the technology was simple, and we had almost no experience in management, production organization, or market development. Meanwhile, the beverage market at that time had many big names from around the world producing and supplying products in Vietnam.”
To solve this problem, Tan Quang Minh prioritizes understanding consumer preferences and market trends to develop products, coupled with improving management processes, marketing, human resources, and expanding distribution. Over the past 33 years, Bidrico has gone through several stages of development. From 1992 to 1996, the company focused on producing a range of specialized products serving the rural market because at that time many large beverage companies were concentrating on urban markets.
During the period from 1996 to 2000, Bidrico changed its product designs and branding, improving product quality to establish a foothold in towns and cities. In the following phase, Bidrico expanded its market to major cities. During this time, the company also adopted a new approach to consumer preferences, continuing to change product designs and researching the production of additional health-beneficial products, especially fruit juices.
From 2007 onwards, Bidrico, while affirming its brand reputation domestically and fulfilling its mission of "Elevating Vietnamese Brands," has exported its products abroad, reaching demanding markets such as Japan, the US, and Europe... At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2017 forum hosted by Vietnam, Bidrico's purified water product was chosen as the drinking water throughout the conference," Mr. Hien recounted.
Visiting the Bidrico brand's 15,000 m2 factory, which specializes in producing health-boosting beverages and drinks, with 12 modern production lines imported from France, Germany, Sweden, and the USA, and witnessing firsthand the team of over 700 technical staff, workers, and managers busily producing and distributing dozens of beverage products to domestic and international markets, one can truly appreciate the success of Tan Quang Minh Company.
Bidrico branded beverages are produced using modern European technology - Photo: HN
At the same time, I reaffirmed the sentiments shared by businessman Nguyen Dang Hien in our conversation, when he stated that for Bidrico to thrive, he himself must always uphold the hardworking and resilient spirit of the people of Quang Tri, striving his utmost to accumulate knowledge and skills, thereby leading the leadership of Tan Quang Minh to remain loyal to the philosophy of constant innovation and improvement; the quality and excellence of the product are an unwavering commitment; and the benefits of the business and support for the community are parallel goals.
Besides focusing on business development, every year Mr. Hien and Bidrico organize charitable activities, supporting poor students who excel in their studies, and actively participating in the gratitude movement, many of which are held in his hometown of Quang Tri.
He also made significant contributions to the development of the business community while serving as Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Food and Beverage Association; a member of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association; and for many years as Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Industrial Zone Business Association...
In recent years, Mr. Hien has devoted much effort to connecting and fostering relationships among Quang Tri entrepreneurs in Ho Chi Minh City to support the province in promoting investment in Ho Chi Minh City; and researching and investing in production and business projects in Quang Tri.
“Green growth and sustainable development are among Bidrico’s key objectives, and we are exploring the possibility of establishing production facilities in Quang Tri,” Mr. Hien shared.
In Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Binh Phuoc, there are many successful businesses owned by people from Quang Tri. Establishing businesses far from home, amidst numerous difficulties and challenges, is precisely when the inherent character of the people of Quang Tri is awakened and developed, contributing to the formation of many successful Quang Tri entrepreneurs in the South.
Huy Nam
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/giu-cot-cach-nguoi-quang-tri-193345.htm
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