Vũ Mạnh Hùng (right) in his brick factory. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Lành

NAM ĐỊNH — Vũ Mạnh Hùng, a veteran, is currently the director of Sông Giang LLC. in Hải Giang, Nam Định Province.

Not only has he excelled in business, holding the position of Chairman of the Veterans Entrepreneurs Association in the province, but he has also made significant contributions to society.

In November 1978, at the age of 23, Hùng enlisted in the 352nd Division, 2nd Corps, 18th Battalion. After completing his training, he and his comrades were assigned to participate in international combat in Cambodia.

At that time, the conflict in Cambodia was extremely fierce, and many of his comrades sacrificed their lives.

He suffered injuries due to artillery fire, and his health deteriorated. In early 1979, he was reassigned to reinforce the 1st Military Region and fought in Lạng Sơn. In 1982, he was discharged from the army due to his disability.

Hùng said that during that time, his family faced economic hardship, so he joined the Tiền Phong Fishing Group in Hải Giang commune, engaging in coastal fishing. In 2000, recognising the economic changes and increased housing demands, he invested all of his family's savings to build a traditional brick kiln.

In 2005, he established Sông Giang LLC., specialising in producing tunnel bricks. In 2013, he expanded the production line to include non-fired bricks. Currently, his company operates on a 5.7-hectare area with a capacity of producing 100,000 to 150,000 bricks per day.

Outside of his business in brick production, Hùng invested in building a domestic waterway port for goods transfer within the province. The company's annual revenue is approximately VNĐ30 billion (US$1.2 million). The company provides stable employment for 300 workers, half of whom are children of veterans and those facing difficult circumstances both within and outside the commune. The average monthly salary for workers ranges from VNĐ5-9 million (US$211-380) per person.

One of the employees, Phạm Ngọc Điệp, has been with Sông Giang LLC. for nearly 10 years, currently earning around VNĐ9 million (US$380) per month. This income has helped stabilise his family's financial situation. Having local employment opportunities means that rural labourers like him don't have to seek work far away, making it convenient and reassuring to be committed to their jobs.

In addition to his economic development efforts and job creation for local labourers, Hùng has also contributed significantly to the community. In 2014, he voluntarily donated 600 square metres of land and 1,200 cubic metres of sand to build the Ninh Mỹ ferry connecting Nghĩa Hưng and Hải Hậu districts.

During the new rural development campaign, he sponsored the renovation of 12 cultural houses in 12 hamlets. At each cultural house, he contributed from 10,000 to 50,000 bricks. Additionally, he supported 30 per cent of the total number of bricks used to build riverbanks in the commune.

Each year, Hùng donates around VNĐ100 million (US$4,223) to support educational activities, activities of the Red Cross, families of veterans, martyrs, and Agent Orange victims in the commune and district.

As the Chairman of the Veterans Entrepreneurs Association in the province, Hùng encourages its members to contribute and participate actively in local social welfare programs. Every year, he mobilises association members to build or renovate at least one house for a member facing difficult circumstances. Furthermore, he encourages association members to actively participate in various local social welfare programmes.

For his significant contributions, in 2016, Hùng was honoured with the Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit for his outstanding academic achievements and exemplary ethics in following Hồ Chí Minh's ideology from 2011 to 2015, contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the homeland.

Phan Trọng Điền showing his brass products to customers. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Lành

Keeping the flame

Veteran Phan Trọng Điền is a skilled copper casting artisan in Nam Định Province with over 30 years of experience in this craft. Điền is the Director of Nam Thiên Brass Casting One Member LLC. in Xuân Trường, which he founded in 2010.

Điền recalled that after three years of international service in Laos, he was injured and suffered serious disabilities. At the end of 1987, he returned to his hometown after completing his service.

Upon his return, he worked at Xuân Thủy Bee Beer Joint Stock Company in Xuân Trường district. During his time there, he learned about the process of using beeswax to create patterns on copper products.

The more he learned, the more passionate he became. In 1990, he decided to leave his job to open a copper casting workshop at his family's home.

According to Điền, the initial period of being a copper casting artisan was extremely challenging. Creating the products was difficult, and selling them was even more challenging. He had to travel to different places such as Thanh Hóa, Hải Phòng, and Bắc Ninh, going door to door at temples and pagodas to introduce his products.

While seeking customers, he also studied and learned various techniques of craftsmanship and ancient patterns to improve the quality of his products to meet market demand. As a result, his family's products gradually found stable outlets. Many businesses dealing in copper items started placing orders.

In 2010, he established Nam Thiên Brass Casting One Member Limited Liability Company, with a workshop area of over 2,000 square metres. The company's main products are bells, statues, brass paintings, and various religious items.

Staying true to traditional copper casting methods, the intricate and meticulous craftsmanship of Nam Thiên's products has earned high praise from customers.

In addition to producing copper products, Điền's company also participates in the restoration and repair of several significant structures, such as the copper casting work at Phật Tích Pagoda (Tiên Du - Bắc Ninh), Quốc Mẫu Âu Cơ Temple (Phú Thọ), statues of President Hồ Chí Minh, the Great Unity Bell, and the ancient Đại Pháp Drum at the Chung Sơn Temple, dedicated to the ancestral family of President Hồ Chí Minh in Nam Đàn, Nghệ An.

With an annual revenue of around VNĐ10 billion (US$422,000), Điền's company provides employment for about 60 workers, with salaries ranging from VNĐ5-10 million (US$211-422) per person per month.

Alongside the development of his family's business, the veteran actively engages in charitable activities and contributes to the development of his homeland. He participates in projects such as renovating the Martyrs Cemetery, supporting the Scholarship Fund, the Poor Fund, and mobilising fellow veterans to support housing repairs for families facing financial difficulties within and outside the commune.

According to Bùi Văn Tuất, Chairman of the Nam Định Veteran's Association, Điền and Hùng are exemplary veterans in the locality, exemplifying the qualities of a soldier in peacetime.

Outside of developing the economy, they also created employment opportunities for many local workers and made significant contributions to the movement of building a new countryside, promoting education, and supporting social welfare. — VNS