Heading towards home

(Baonghean.vn) - In Ho Chi Minh City, the people of Nghe An, though far from home, still deeply cherish their birthplace. They always hope to contribute to the development of their province. On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2012, we would like to introduce two entrepreneurs - sons and daughters of Nghe An - who have made significant contributions to their homeland.

Nguyen Canh Nam, Chairman of the Nghe Tinh Business Association in Ho Chi Minh City and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lam Hong Trading Company Limited, had a childhood closely connected to his hometown by the Lam River (Ba Dinh hamlet, Hong Long commune, Nam Dan district - Nghe An province).

In 1970, he was sent by the State to study in the German Democratic Republic. When the country was reunified, he enthusiastically returned to help rebuild his homeland. In 1976, he started working at the Packaging Import-Export, Production and Service Company under the Ministry of Foreign Trade (now the Ministry of Industry and Trade). When the company established a branch in the south...MaleHe was one of six people transferred to Ho Chi Minh City. In 1987, he returned to Germany to work as a Vietnamese labor manager.MaleHe lived there. In 1991, the whole family returned to Vietnam and settled in Ho Chi Minh City. He worked at his old company until 2004, when he retired and became Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lam Hong Trading Company Limited.

Lam Hong Company initially focused on import-export, goods agency, trade, and services, with its strongest area being airline ticket sales. Fifteen years ago, Lam Hong introduced a home delivery service for tickets, a feature not offered by other agencies, which proved very popular with customers. Lam Hong now offers additional services, allowing customers to book tickets online and receive immediate responses. Customers abroad wishing to change their flight dates or times can easily notify Lam Hong online, and Lam Hong will respond promptly.

GrandfatherMaleHe always harbored a deep longing for his homeland. Even the name of his company, "Lam Hong," and his phone's ringtone were songs about Nghe An province. "Now my family has a stable life in Ho Chi Minh City. My father often reminds my sisters and me to take care of our poor relatives back home. Even though he is over 90 years old, my father still saves money to send back to help our relatives," he confided. What's special is that Lam Hong Company always prioritizes hiring people from Nghe An. Currently, there are over 60 employees from Nghe An working at Lam Hong. They consider Lam Hong like a big family, respecting and cherishing each other.

Nguyen Ba Thi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Corporation (Sabeco), was born into a farming family in Van Khue village, Nhan Son commune, Do Luong district (Nghe An province). His father died when he was 4 years old, and Nguyen Ba Thi had a difficult childhood, spending his days tending buffaloes and his days attending school amidst the fierce bombing of the enemy. "When the Truong Bon incident occurred, I was only 12 years old. At that time, that treacherous road was a branch of the Truong Son Road that passed through my village. My house was one of many houses where soldiers and Youth Volunteers stayed while carrying out their duties," he recalled.

In 1974, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the army in response to the sacred call of the Fatherland, fighting on the battlefields of the Southeast region, and then participating in the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign that led to the great victory of Spring 1975, unifying the country. Afterward, he continued his international duties in Cambodia. In 1981, he changed fields and studied at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. After graduation, he worked in the textile industry, then joined the Party Committee of the Ministry of Industry in the South...

In 1997, he was transferred to become the CEO of Saigon Beer Company and concurrently the Director of Binh Tay Distillery. In 2003, the Prime Minister decided to establish Sabeco Corporation, and he was assigned the task of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sabeco from 2003 to the present. From an enterprise with capital of nearly 2,000 billion VND, a production volume of only about 300 million liters/year, a profit of 500 billion VND/year, and an average employee income of about 6 million VND/month (2003), Sabeco now has capital of over 6,500 billion VND, a production volume of over 1.2 billion liters/year, revenue of over 22,000 billion VND/year, tax contributions of over 3,500 billion VND/year, a profit of about 3,000 billion VND/year, and an average employee income of 15 million VND/person/month. Currently, Sabeco is one of the three largest beer companies in Southeast Asia and one of the 21 largest beer companies in the world, with famous beer brands such as: 333 Export, Saigon Export, Saigon Lager, Saigon Special...

Despite his success in Ho Chi Minh City, he still felt a pang of concern: "My hometown is still so poor, the people there are still struggling so much! And yet I haven't been able to do anything for my homeland." With his abilities, he and his family and friends have helped and invested in his hometown in Nghe An province. Specifically, he and some relatives invested in building a health station for Nhan Son commune worth 120 million VND; and a traditional medicine brewing machine for Do Luong Hospital worth 70 million VND. Currently, Sabeco has completed phase 1 of its brewery in Nghe An, which has been operational for over a year with a production capacity of 100 million liters per year; and invested in the Sabeco Packaging Factory in Bac Vinh Industrial Park. It is estimated that the company contributes over 300 billion VND per year to the provincial budget and provides stable employment for more than 300 workers in the province.

In particular, he made significant contributions to the restoration of the Truông Bồn Historical and Cultural Relic Site and facilitated the process of recognizing the title of Hero of the Armed Forces for the collective and individuals of the Youth Volunteers who sacrificed their lives there. He stated that Sabeco's contribution of 1 billion VND to Nghe An province for the construction of the Truông Bồn Historical Relic Site is only the first step. "I will continue to campaign and contribute my efforts to make Truông Bồn a national and provincial historical and cultural tourist destination, contributing to the education of patriotic traditions for future generations," he said.

Xuan Lam