Lesson 2: Buying land and building a house using... scrap materials!

(Baonghean.vn)In Dien Hong and Dien Thap (Dien Chau), we were surprised not only by the bustling business activity but also by the rows of multi-million dollar villas. Locals said that the owners of these villas are none other than the "kingpins" of the scrap metal industry.

Arriving at the home of Mr. Tran Van Sanh (born in 1974, residing in Nam Hamlet, Dien Hong Commune), we were greeted by a spacious three-story house, indistinguishable from those in urban areas. Perhaps the only difference was the stacks of scrap metal sacks piled high in front of the house, which revealed the owner's occupation.

To our surprise, Sanh said, "It's all thanks to those trips back and forth trading scrap metal, you know."

Mr. Sam (on the right) speaks with a reporter in his spacious house built from... garbage.

Born into a large family, his difficult early life taught him to be independent from a very young age. In the eighth grade, he had to sell ice cream while attending school. After finishing high school, he rode his bicycle alone, with two bamboo baskets tied to the sides, wandering through the remotest corners of the mountainous districts of Que Phong and Tuong Duong, all the way to Ha Tinh and Quang Binh, trading pots and pans for scrap metal and broken sandals. He endured countless hardships during those years of cycling to buy and trade scrap materials, from braving the rain and sun to eating and sleeping by the roadside.

As domestic scrap metal sources dwindled and the number of people engaged in this trade increased, around the beginning of 2000, he and some villagers took a risk and went to Laos to collect scrap metal. After a period of small-scale trading and accumulating some capital, in 2005 he switched to becoming an agent, renting a workshop to collect and transport scrap metal back to Dien Hong for sorting or resale.

Each of his trips to Laos usually involves a capital investment of over 100 million VND. In recent years, with his business thriving, Mr. Sanh even discussed with his older brother, Tran Van Sam, the idea of ​​abandoning their pork trading business to pool their capital and go to Laos to buy scrap metal. On average, the two brothers earn about 300 million VND per year. After several years in the scrap metal business, they have not only built spacious, well-equipped houses along National Highway 1A, but also bought several plots of land to store scrap metal and have the means to provide for their children's education.

Not far from Mr. Sanh's house, right next to National Highway 1A, is the spacious three-story house of Mr. Tran Van Hanh's family (Nam Hamlet, Dien Hong Commune). Although they don't directly trade scrap metal in Laos, their business has been closely tied to importing scrap from Laos for over 10 years. Currently, his family imports about two truckloads of scrap metal (mainly copper, aluminum, and iron) each week, each truck carrying about 10 tons. After purchasing the scrap metal (which has been pre-sorted), he has his workers sort it further, selecting different types to sell to factories at prices of about 30,000 VND/kg for aluminum and iron, and 100,000 VND/kg for copper. After deducting expenses, he earns a profit of about 2,500 VND per kilogram of scrap metal. This waste sorting activity not only provides a stable income for his family but also creates jobs for 10 workers at the sorting workshop, with an income of 100,000 VND per day.

The profits from importing scrap metal from Laos to Vietnam are evident. This is truly a miraculous step towards wealth accumulation, not only for Mr. Sanh, Mr. Sam, and Mr. Hanh, but also for many people in Dien Hong. Just about 10 years ago, they were struggling to make ends meet, let alone build houses or own cars like they do now. Because of these successes, more and more people are following suit, creating a bustling scrap metal trading trend.

It is this dynamism and willingness to overcome difficulties that has helped them rise to prosperity. Families engaged in the scrap metal trading business have transformed the face of Dien Hong commune. Statistics show that those involved in scrap metal collection contribute over 40% of the commune's annual income. Furthermore, a unique waste processing industrial zone has sprung up in Dien Hong, attracting thousands of workers and handling hundreds of tons of waste daily.

Quang An