The journey to success of the Director of Kim Long Company

(Baonghean) - From a poor student who struggled with various jobs, nearly 7 years after graduation, Nguyen Van Dung became the Director of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd., specializing in designing, manufacturing, and supplying LED advertising components; with annual revenue of tens of billions of VND.

Start a business with just 10 million VND.

The entrepreneurial journey of young businessman Nguyen Van Dung is a remarkable one, a path to success built on extraordinary determination. At just over 30 years old, Nguyen Van Dung is already the CEO of a company specializing in supplying components, designing and manufacturing LED advertising displays, and producing LED lights; providing employment for over 30 employees and workers. Looking at his company's assets and two production facilities, few would guess that he built everything from scratch.

Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. specializes in designing and installing LED advertising. Photo: Dinh Nguyet

His family was originally farmers, living in the poor village of Do Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district). He had three brothers, and Dung was the second child. His family worked in agriculture, and his parents were frequently ill. The family's poverty instilled in him a strong will to work twice or three times harder than his peers. Through diligent study, he passed the entrance exam to the Electronics and Telecommunications department at Vinh University. While studying, he spent his remaining time working part-time, doing various jobs such as construction work, erecting power poles, laying cables, making advertising signs, and tutoring. He also established the "Vinh University" tutoring center, connecting 30-50 people with jobs, earning 3-5 million VND per person per month. His monthly income of 5-7 million VND helped him cover his living expenses, his studies, and support his parents' younger siblings' education.

Dung also bought necessary work-related items like a motorbike, phone, and laptop on installment plans. Being bold and resourceful, he always managed to find job opportunities even while still a student. “The time I spent working various jobs not only allowed me to support myself and help my family, but it also provided invaluable practical experience; honing my life skills, communication skills, relationship building, problem-solving abilities, and career orientation,” Dung shared.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung - Director of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd., instructs employees on the processing of LED lighting products. Photo: Dinh Nguyet.

The LED lighting assembly and processing workshop of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. Photo: Dinh Nguyet

After graduating from university and trying out several jobs without satisfaction, Mr. Dung decided to start his own business using his strengths and passions. With his knowledge and experience from working as a LED advertising installation worker, he chose this field to build his career with an initial capital of only about 10 million VND. Initially, his projects were small advertising boards for restaurants, cafes, and shops. But six months later, he secured a larger project with a budget exceeding 300 million VND. To meet business demands and take on larger projects, he decided to establish Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. in 2011. However, he still faced numerous difficulties and challenges; in the first two years, the company's revenue only reached 500-800 million VND per year.

However, Nguyen Van Dung did not lose heart. He built his business strategy on the principle that products must always meet stringent requirements regarding quality and delivery time; thereby building the company's reputation and brand. Gradually, he gained the trust of partners and customers, and as a result, the company increasingly asserted its unique position in the market. From the third year onwards, the company he owned attracted more and more projects. With more work, he increased the workforce, expanded the production facility, and invested in more machinery…

"Change or die."

The LED advertising production sector is facing increasingly fierce competition, forcing the young director to constantly strive to adapt products and services to meet customer needs and preferences, guided by the principle of "change or die." Nguyen Van Dung began this innovation process by enhancing professional capabilities and reforming his management thinking. He dedicated time to pursuing a master's degree in electronics and telecommunications at Hanoi University of Technology. Simultaneously, he focused on recruiting highly qualified and specialized personnel and skilled workers; investing in infrastructure with a branch production workshop in Vinh and Dien Chau, along with a system of machinery and transport vehicles…

Staff of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. instruct employees on operating CNC cutting machines. Photo: Dinh Nguyet.

He also aims to continuously improve designs, enhance the quality of LED advertising products, maintain the brand, and promote the development of new services to stay ahead of the market. He personally sources high-quality electronic components for the company's production. To shift towards this new service, Mr. Dung invested time in learning Chinese and spent hundreds of millions of dong researching the market and sourcing quality goods from China.

With limited knowledge of Chinese, he traveled alone through many provinces and cities in China. A year later, after finding a source of components from China and Taiwan, he built the Shine Led lighting brand. To date, in addition to design and construction, Kim Long Company also supplies components for LED advertising production and provides technical consulting to companies manufacturing these products.

Headquarters of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. Photo: Dinh Nguyet

Staff and employees of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. Photo: Dinh Nguyet

With its unique approach to LED advertising production, Kim Long branded products consistently ensure high quality, elegant designs, and trendy styles, gradually dominating the market. The number of projects designed and constructed by the company in Nghe An province is increasing, including: the second phase of the Polish Hospital project, Eximbank, AIA Insurance, Oppo and Vivo stores, Muong Thanh Song Lam, the 4th Military Region Command, Hoa Sen Group, Thai An Group, and many others.

Since 2016, Kim Long Company has been assembling LED lighting for residential use. Thanks to proactively connecting with dealers specializing in construction materials and equipment in many provinces and cities, Kim Long has now established a system of 6 product distributors and 300 dealers spanning from Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Da Nang, and Quang Nam.

Earlier this year, the company expanded its market to Laos, establishing a facility specializing in LED advertising production in Savanaket province. Production scale has steadily expanded, and the company's revenue has increased accordingly, reaching 26-27 billion VND per year. Nguyen Van Dung understands that the company's success is due to the unity and cooperation of its team. Therefore, he always values ​​his company members and strives to foster a sense of belonging among them, treating them like a family.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung received the "Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Award of 2017".

The success of Kim Long Trading and Technology Co., Ltd. has led young entrepreneur Nguyen Van Dung to become a member of the Inspection Committee of the Nghe An Advertising Association. Recently, he was one of 68 outstanding individuals honored as "Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs Nationwide in 2017". Sharing his future development plans, this young director is determined to expand the company's scale, aiming to build a 1,000m² factory by 2019.², while also strengthening charitable activities for the community, contributing to ensuring social welfare.

Nguyet Minh