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Going to trade in phosphorus, seeing people cutting jackfruit trees for firewood, Mr. Minh remembered the professor's inquiry to find jackfruit wood to build a church and decided to change jobs.

After more than 20 years, starting from a farmer with 15 million VND in advance from customers, Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, 56 years old, residing in Truong Son commune, Duc Tho district has been the owner of two carpentry workshops in Ha Tinh and Nam Dinh. with the nickname Minh "Met".

Ben Hen village, Truong Son commune, Mr. Minh's hometown has the profession of raking mussels and building boats. From the age of 6-7, the boy Minh took up a saw, chisel, and learned carpentry from his father, but abandoned it. In 1986, after marrying a girl from the same commune, Mr. Minh went to trade in phosphorus. Every day he orders phosphorus, lime... from agents, then contact agricultural cooperatives, deliver goods to people.

In 2003, Mr. Minh happened to meet a professor about Duc Tho to learn how to build a church out of jackfruit wood, pre-made a frame, and then brought it to Hanoi to build. Professor asked: "Do you have jackfruit to make?". Mr. Minh replied idly: "It's simple to make of jackfruit wood". The two exchanged phone numbers, making no promises.

In 2003, Mr. Minh happened to meet a professor about Duc Tho to learn how to build a church out of jackfruit wood, ready-made frames and then sent to Hanoi to build. Professor asked: "Do you have jackfruit to make?". Mr. Minh replied idly: "It's simple to make of jackfruit wood". The two exchanged phone numbers, making no promises.

Mr. Nguyen Van Minh, excellent Vietnamese farmer in 2023. Photo: Duc Hung

Mr. Minh thinks the professor "speaks for fun", because for decades of traveling in the mountains of Huong Son, Huong Khe, Vu Quang, he has seen people cutting jackfruit trees for firewood, and throwing them in the garden because they are not valuable. "Why is the professor looking for someone to build a church out of jackfruit wood, lacking any expensive wood?", Mr. Minh kept worrying about the question. And he remembered his grandfather's words from when he was learning carpentry, that jackfruit wood is light and supple, suitable for carving Buddha statues or doing spiritual works.

Understanding the value of jackfruit wood, Mr. Minh decided to change his profession to make churches and worship objects with this wood. It was 2007, the first customer was the professor he had met. After a phone conversation, he said that he had not found a suitable worker for the past 4 years to build a church. Hearing Mr. Minh say that he had just started a business and had not had his first project, the professor reassured: "I put my trust in you".

The two then met in Duc Tho district, agreed that the total cost of the project was 120 million VND, and Mr. Minh asked for an advance of 15 million VND because he did not have capital. Taking money, he went to the mountains to buy jackfruit wood, sawed it himself and brought it home, requisitioning the family's small yard as a workshop. He hired 4 workers in the village, paying a daily salary of 25,000 VND.

Starting a business with no capital, no workshop, machinery, labor..., Mr. Minh was questioned by his wife: "Why don't you keep your old job, it'll only make it harder. If you don't succeed, they will pay you back. Where's the money for compensation? Four young children are afraid they will suffer." Neighbors saw that he changed jobs and discussed, saying "I don't see anyone doing this", they also asked if the workers working for Mr. Minh would be paid?

The grassroots worker Mr. Minh built a wooden frame of a church. Photo: Duc Hung

After having the premises and workers, every day, Mr. Minh cycled around the district, photographed beautiful church samples, brought them back to study and learn about architecture to draw experience. After 6 months, he and 4 workers completed the frame and items, sent to Hanoi to build a church for the professor. Receiving the remaining 105 million VND, Mr. Minh looked at the worker and burst into tears.

From a small initial capital, Mr. Minh invested in more machinery, in addition to building a church, he also received stairs and furniture. The bank loaned 120 million VND. In 2012, the government leased 1,500 m2 of land near the center of Truong Son commune to build a workshop, but he only rented 550 m2 "for fear of making a reputational loss". At this time, Mr. Minh only specializes in making churches, because he finds it difficult to compete with many other establishments in long-term interior design.

When a customer places an order, he prepares the wood, studies the texture, then cuts, chisels, and creates a frame and textures. A church with an area of 70-100 m2, 6 m high, 7 m wide, 12 m long. The carpentry workshop will prepare materials, make frames for one to two months, then use trucks to transport them to erect. A house is built about 3-4 days. In addition to making of jackfruit wood, anyone who asked for other types of wood he met.

According to Mr. Minh, the hardest part is assembling wooden blocks into a unified shaft. This requires workers when cutting, making sesame rafters must have high techniques. If the chisel is in one position, it will never match when erected. With this stage, Mr. Minh regularly observes the workers and approves when he is secure. To date, he has built more than 300 churches, none of which has failed.

A year, the establishment makes more than 20 churches, costing 300 million VND to one billion VND, many 4-5 billion VND. Deducting all costs, completing a project with a profit of 10%, an average profit of about 4 billion VND per year. The factory currently creates jobs for more than 20 employees. Carvers earn more than a million dong a day, assemblers 500,000 dong, some people do 28 jobs a month with an income of nearly 30 million dong.

Since then, Mr. Minh has built a spacious house, bought a car, has four children, and has a good economy. In addition to the existing facility, Mr. Minh opened another worship furniture workshop in Nam Dinh, hiring relatives as managers.

As one of 100 people who have just been decided by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association to award the title of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer in 2023, Mr. Minh was surprised, saying: "This honor also creates a lot of pressure. Customers always ask for it. Ask high questions, I have to constantly explore and innovate new products to meet them."

Laborers work at Mr. Minh's premises. Photo: Duc Hung

Mr. Tran Thanh Sang, Chairman of Truong Son Commune Farmers' Association, assessed that Minh's members are persistent and have great will, despite coming from a difficult background. "Truong Son is a famous carpentry and boat-building village, but it has disappeared because of competition. Mr. Minh has gone in a new direction when making wooden houses and worshiping objects, so he has a large market, creating jobs for people, maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. maintain the traditional profession of the commune," said Mr. Sang.

Duc Hung