Hoang Mai in the regional economic space

Heaven, earth and man
Hoang Mai is a name that evokes poetic rhymes and melodies, with the clear green Mai Giang river winding and depositing alluvium to create rich and charming villages, at the headland of Nghe An. But amidst the soft mountains, vast rivers and oceans, which are advantages for developing agriculture, forestry, fishery and especially tourism, the young town of Hoang Mai also bears the additional responsibility of being an industrial town, one of the three growth poles of Nghe An province.

Dawn in Hoang Mai Town. Photo: Cao Dong

Located on the North-South highway, Hoang Mai is the intersection between two major cities: Thanh Hoa and Vinh, adjacent to Nghi Son economic zone, Phu Quy area and Quynh Luu district. If Nghe An is a miniature of Vietnam, Hoang Mai is a miniature of Nghe An. As a land that has three ecological zones: sea, plain and mountain, there are few towns with convenient transportation like Hoang Mai.

The road traffic system of National Highway 1A, North-South Expressway, Nghi Son Cua Lo route, National Highway 48D connecting Western Nghe An, railway traffic... creates connections both within the province and regions in the country; The town is surrounded by Mai Giang river (belonging to the Le Dynasty canal from the Le Hoan period), flowing into the sea through two estuaries, creating conditions for the town to build and develop a fishing port in Quynh Phuong ward and is promoting investment in Dong Hoi deep-water port.

The Le River flows through Hoang Mai town, connecting Hoa Lu capital to Deo Ngang, and is considered the first waterway in Vietnam. Hoang Mai is also a land with all the cultural characteristics of the North Central region in general and Nghe An in particular.

The changes of life and the ups and downs of history have left their mark in many tangible and intangible relics that attract tourists from all over the world to visit and enjoy. "The first four sacred animals of Nghe An" - Con Temple in Quynh Phuong - is famous throughout the North and South, enough to write a traditional spiritual tourism story. As a highlight contributing to creating a Hoang Mai that is both ancient with pagodas, temples and shrines scattered throughout the town, and modern with newly opened roads, skyscrapers in urban areas, the pristine and magical Quynh Phuong beach will create momentum for the smokeless industry in Hoang Mai to develop.

Because it is located next to Quynh Luu district, Nghe An province and adjacent to Thanh Hoa province with an abundant source of young labor, coming to Hoang Mai, investors not only have favorable conditions in recruiting and training labor but can also save on labor costs, while enjoying convenient services at affordable and reasonable prices.
Favorable weather, favorable terrain, and favorable people - Hoang Mai has a lot of potential and has been planned for economic development with priority given to industry, trade, and tourism.

Industry-based

It is known that without promoting industry and services, it is impossible to talk about development and poverty reduction. But how to do industrialization properly, reasonably, and with vision is a matter that needs to be discussed carefully. This is also a challenge that Hoang Mai must consider, in (at least) the next 5 years. Because, unlike traditional fields such as agriculture, forestry, and fishery, which can be produced based on traditional experience, industry, in addition to experience, requires many other factors, synchronous, comprehensive with different thinking, in order to create differences.

Up to now, Hoang Mai has 3 industrial parks that have been and are in operation. They are Hoang Mai Industrial Park, Dong Hoi Industrial Park and Can Bong Industrial Park. With the advantage of stone mines, clay mines... Hoang Mai has the potential and is also prioritizing the development of the construction materials industry.

Currently, in the area, there is Hoang Mai 1 Cement Factory with a capacity of 1.2 million tons/year, and is promoting investment in Hoang Mai 2 Factory with a capacity of 4.5 million tons/year. The quarry here also supplies Nghi Son Cement Factory. In addition to cement, there are factories producing white stone powder, Tuynel bricks; Hoa Sen Steel Factory, Vinatex Garment Factory; 4-star hotel complex and Muong Thanh general trade are operating effectively... The advantage of being located in an industrial economic region on the path of strong development, from a certain perspective, is also a challenge that must be considered and overcome.

In close connection with Nghi Son, Phu Quy, Quynh Luu, Hoang Mai town needs to find its own path, its own choice to create its own mark and comparison for mutual development.

The unique path that Hoang Mai has chosen and determined is to combine traditional technology with modern science to accelerate urban agriculture; each locality forms and strongly develops at least one high-quality, safe, branded product on the market. Such as Quynh Vinh turmeric, Quynh Di fish sauce, Quynh Lap shrimp, Quynh Phuong mackerel, Quynh Lien clean vegetables...

Produced at Hoa Sen Nghe An Steel Factory (Dong Hoi Industrial Park, Hoang Mai Town). Photo: Thu Huyen

To develop the economy in general, and the industrial economy in particular, no matter which path is chosen, the investment environment is still the most important factor. In the past, people often used the concept of "rolling out the red carpet" to talk about the issue of attracting investment.

But in the current trend, investment promotion cannot only do one thing: create favorable conditions, open the door to welcome investors, but also need to consider efficiency, how to make businesses and localities benefit together. That means investment promotion now is not about calling for investment at all costs, accepting all projects, but must have choices. Choosing which investor, what capacity, at the same time must also consider other factors such as sustainability, commitment to using local labor, readiness to transfer technology...

A corner of Hoang Mai town today.

Industrialization and modernization are inevitable trends and trends of the times, but not all localities are successful. For a newly established town, the entire infrastructure is almost zero, so it is even more difficult.

Therefore, to complete all the above orientations and goals - creating Hoang Mai's own identity in the regional economic map - the town needs more than ever a long-term, comprehensive, and careful but decisive plan in each specific step: Investing in infrastructure systematically; developing high technology; reforming administrative procedures; building a civilized urban lifestyle; creating an open investment attraction environment with strategic vision...

The foundation of an industrial-service town cannot be based solely on factory chimneys or even large-scale urban areas. The foundation of an industrial-service town must be awareness, the awareness of building industrial civilization in each citizen. Every ordinary citizen also needs to have a revolution within themselves, to renew their thinking and lifestyle, to integrate with the needs and demands of a modern industrial sector.

Only then will Hoang Mai be qualified to achieve the set strategic goals, worthy of the trust and expectations of the Party Committee and people of the province.