Hoang Mai is flourishing.

(Baonghean) - Visiting Hoang Mai town at the end of the year, the impact of investment attraction efforts is clearly felt. Along the newly opened major roads intersecting National Highway 1, large construction projects, factories, and hotels are springing up… It seems that the time has begun for this land, once purely agricultural, with its farmers and rural communities, to change its way of life.

Workers at the Vinatex Hoang Mai garment factory produce goods for export to Japan.

The subtle touches

Our first impression of the industrial spirit in the people of Hoang Mai began at the Vinatex Hoang Mai garment factory. Here, after the ribbon-cutting ceremony (September 3, 2016), approximately 200 workers had already started working.

They are young men and women in their apprenticeship phase, earning 2,000,000 VND per month. Yet, their faces reflect seriousness, diligence, and satisfaction with their work.

The Vinatex – Hoang Mai Garment Factory project and its supporting facilities, invested by the Vietnam Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex), was approved by the Provincial People's Committee in 2014 with a total investment of over 127 billion VND and is being built on a 31,600m2 plot of land in Quynh Vinh commune.

Phase 1 of the factory is designed with a capacity of 10.58 million products per year, featuring a complete line of modern, synchronized sewing equipment from Japan. According to Ms. Luu Thi Bich Hang, Head of Management at Vinatex Hoang Mai Garment Joint Stock Company, most of the workers are from Hoang Mai town. When recruited, most lacked knowledge and experience in the profession, so the factory had to organize training.

However, within a short time, the workers became accustomed to the work and the industrial production environment, resulting in high-quality products. The factory specializes in manufacturing high-quality knitted underwear using raw materials supplied by domestic and international companies for export to the Japanese market through Vinatex's trading partner, Itochu Corporation (Japan).

After more than 3 months of operation, the Japanese partner regularly inspects and evaluates the working environment and conditions; and the company has now shipped its first order.

According to Ms. Hang, after the probationary period, the average income of workers is 3.7 - 4 million VND/person. The company also anticipates that when the project is completed and operating stably, it will create jobs for 780 workers, with priority given to local workers.

Authorities at all levels have shown great interest and provided favorable conditions regarding land clearance, resolving related procedures, and actively cooperating in recruitment and employee awareness education... Therefore, the company has had advantages in its project investment activities, enabling it to start production and business operations soon…”.

Workers at Vinatex Hoang Mai garment factory.

In the Dong Hoi Industrial Park, after one year of investment, the Hoa Sen Nghe An Steel Sheet Factory Project has also commenced operation of its first production line. The Hoa Sen Nghe An Steel Sheet Factory Project has a total investment of 5,000 billion VND.

According to Mr. Huynh Phan Hieu, Deputy Director of Hoa Sen Steel Sheet Factory, although only phase 1 has been completed, the factory has already attracted approximately 750 workers; of which about 30% are from Hoang Mai district, about 60% are from other localities in Nghe An province, and the remaining 10% are from other provinces and cities across the country. Mr. Hieu said: "The galvanized steel sheets, cold-rolled steel sheets, colored steel sheets, and various types of galvanized pipes produced by the factory have already entered the market with a production volume of about 25,000 tons. Once the project is completed, the factory will produce an average of about 1 million sheets per month…”.

One new project that truly adds a highlight to the urban landscape of Hoang Mai is the Muong Thanh Grand Hoang Mai Hotel. Strategically located along National Highway 1A, bordering roads connecting to the town's administrative area and Hoang Mai Industrial Zone 1, the Muong Thanh Grand Hoang Mai Hotel is built to international 4-star standards, boasting 15 floors and 161 guest rooms, catering to the accommodation needs of both domestic and international tourists.

According to our research, after its inauguration on September 2nd, 2016, this hotel attracted a large number of guests. Even experts from the Nghi Son Industrial Park (Thanh Hoa) booked rooms consistently, up to 80 rooms. Therefore, the Muong Thanh Gran Hoang Mai Hotel has created stable employment for 200 workers…

According to the Hoang Mai Town government, after several newly invested factories went into production, such as the galvanized steel sheet production line of Hoa Sen Steel Factory, the sewing line of Vinatex Garment Factory, and the ready-mix concrete plant in Quynh Xuan... along with existing production facilities, the value of industrial and handicraft production has rapidly increased to an estimated 3,996 billion VND, reaching 100.78% of the plan and rising by 33.18% compared to the same period last year.

In addition, the service and trade sector also grew in both scale and value, reaching 1,029 billion VND, equivalent to 102.21% of the plan, an increase of 17.2% compared to 2015; of which revenue from tourism is estimated at over 60 billion VND, an increase of 18%...

Continue to unlock potential

Hoang Mai has been identified by the province as a land with great potential. This is because it is an urban area with 18km of coastline and is located at the northern gateway of the province, making it very convenient for trade with major economic centers in the region and the country. The transportation system, with its economic axes, includes the expanded and upgraded National Highway 1A, the North-South railway line, and Provincial Road 537 connecting National Highway 1A to Thai Hoa town, Nghia Dan district, and the Dong Hoi Industrial Zone, all of which have been completed and put into operation.

Steel sheet products at Hoa Sen factory - Dong Hoi. Photo by Chau Lan.

Hoang Mai possesses diverse mineral resources, many of which have large reserves and favorable exploitation conditions. Of particular note are raw materials for the production of construction materials such as limestone (Quynh Thien, Quynh Di, Quynh Vinh, Quynh Lap, Quynh Loc), cement clay (Quynh Trang, Quynh Vinh), phosphorite ore (Quynh Lap); lead and zinc (Quynh Trang); paving stones (Quynh Vinh, Quynh Trang)... When talking about Hoang Mai, one cannot fail to mention its abundant marine resources.

With an 18km coastline, Hoang Mai boasts the Corn estuary, a breeding ground for economically valuable plankton and other flora and fauna; it also offers convenient access to the large fishing grounds of the Gulf of Tonkin. Furthermore, its distinctive coastal vegetation, including mangrove forests, not only contributes to the diversity of forest resources but also holds significant economic, scientific, tourism, and environmental value.

Due to its rich potential, and recognizing that effective investment attraction will unlock its existing potential, Hoang Mai town is focusing on accelerating the construction of infrastructure projects carried over from 2016, such as inner-city roads, bridges over the Hoang Mai River, the road connecting National Highway 1A from Quynh Xuan to Quynh Lien, resettlement areas for the Dong Hoi Industrial Park, the Quynh Vinh waste treatment plant, and infrastructure serving land clearance for key projects in the town.

On the other hand, continue to do a good job of attracting investment, striving to gradually fill the area in Hoang Mai and Dong Hoi Industrial Parks; at the same time attract investment projects in the trade and service sectors in the Quynh Phuong - Quynh Lien Beach - Hoang Mai River - Vuc Mau Lake tourist area; actively attract Vincom's shopping center project; build industrial parks for Korean investors; attract investment in building commune and inter-commune markets, supermarkets, stores, and shops...

During our visit to Quynh Phuong, home to the nationally renowned Corn Temple, Mr. Nguyen Anh Van, Head of the Propaganda Department of Hoang Mai Town, stated that the list of investment projects calling for investment in Hoang Mai until 2020 has a total investment capital of up to 38,607 trillion VND. In particular, alongside industrial projects, service and tourism projects are identified as important economic sectors that will help Hoang Mai achieve rapid, efficient, and sustainable development.

Nhat Lan