The brick kiln owner from Nghe An province in Laos.

(Baonghean)In Vientiane, Laos, there is a unique ethnic Thai businessman who produces tunnel kiln bricks and is beloved by the Lao people for providing them with stable employment. Originally from a particularly difficult mountainous district in Nghe An province, he is a shining example of determination to become wealthy.

The Vilacona tunnel kiln brick factory, with a capacity of 30 million bricks per year, is often referred to as the "Vietnamese brick factory" by the Lao people of Phone Kho village, Saythani district, Vientiane. The director is Mr. Vi Van Xuc, originally from Muong Xen town (Ky Son district). After more than 20 years working in the Lao market, he decided to establish this tunnel kiln brick factory two years ago. He proposed to the Nghe An Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Investment Joint Stock Company to invest over 2 million US dollars to restore the factory, which the previous owner had abandoned due to a lack of manpower. Despite only being in operation for nearly two years, the factory has been revived. Mr. Kongchai-Ban Phoneko, Saythani district, said: “I work as a brick transporter for this factory. I'm here every day, every week, every month. I make one or two trips a day, sometimes more. The work is daily and provides a stable income. Before, I was worried about what I would do to earn money after buying a car, but now I feel very secure and committed to this brick factory.”

A delegation from the Ethnic Affairs Committee of Nghe An province and leaders from the mountainous districts of Nghe An visited a workshop of the Vi-la-cô-na Vientiane Tunnel Brick Factory.

Lao labor law stipulates that foreign-invested enterprises must have 70% of their workforce comprised of local Lao people. However, the local workforce is inherently unstable; during holidays and festivals, they may quit at any time. The key realization Mr. Vi Van Xuc had was that maintaining a stable workforce was crucial for the factory's success. Understanding the customs and habits of the local people, he proactively transformed his factory into a labor market. People from surrounding villages could come to work by the hour or by the day, receiving payment immediately after delivering their products.

With this approach, Mr. Xuc's brick factory never lacks labor, and the local people always have jobs and stable incomes. In addition, Mr. Vi Van Xuc has brought over 30 workers from ethnic minority groups in the two mountainous districts of Nghe An province, Tuong Duong and Ky Son, to work there. He uses this workforce as the core for the factory's survival, and they are highly skilled and dedicated employees. To date, the factory's brick production has reached 20 million products, and everything produced is sold.

Visiting the brick factory of the highland businessman, Mr. Luong Quang Kinh, Standing Committee Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of Nghe An province, expressed: “I am very pleased to see a business owned by an ethnic minority, Mr. Vi Van Xuc, who grew up in the economic development movement of Ky Son mountainous district, expanding his operations to Laos. He has a very flexible and humane method of employing workers, bringing in an average income of 4.5 to 5 million VND for his employees. With that momentum, he is striving to compete with many other businesses to become a leading producer of bricks in Laos.”

Besides creating many jobs for local people and operating efficiently, the factory also maintains good relations with the local authorities and complies well with Lao laws, contributing to a positive image of Vietnamese businesses investing in Laos. In the near future, on its 5-hectare plot of land, the factory will build a more decent and spacious administrative building and dormitory for its workers.

National Day (VOV/ Vientiane)