People begin new lives for different reasons, some because of luck, and some because of adversity. Effort, courage and even faith are needed to overcome adversity, and Mr Ly Ngoc Minh has experienced all this on his way to making a business in Binh Duong. With great passion, he succeeded in introducing Vietnamese culture into ceramic products.
His father died when he was only 12. His education was interrupted and poverty fell on him and his family. Although having some knowledge of ceramics, his family was nearly without hope, as they had no capital or support. He remembered the day when his father took him to visit a Japanese ceramics exhibition. He was strongly impressed by the beauty of Japanese ceramics and felt sorrow for the state of Binh Duong crafts. With an ardent desire, he decided to improve Binh Duong ceramics, both to help his family and upgrade Vietnamese ceramics.
In fact, his business went up and down in the face of fierce competition by local and foreign products. However, with determination and faith, he succeeded in improving the quality of the products. Minh Long ceramic has been continually upgraded with new knowledge and creativity. As soon as Vietnam began open policies favourable for business environment, he immediately expanded production, upgraded technology, attracted more talent and increased exports.
He went to France, Japan, Italy, the UK, China and South Korea to study the technology and know-how of other famous ceramics. Finally he came to the conclusion that each country must develop its own unique cultural identity and characteristics in ceramics. Accordingly, he created a development path for Minh Long ceramics to grow with Vietnamese traditional culture. He is proud of Minh Long products, reflecting the beauty and friendliness of Vietnamese people.
He feels deeply attached to ceramics. It is and will always be his life and roots. Consequently, Minh Long ceramics fully reflect the Vietnamese life-style and soul. It vividly depicts Vietnamese landscapes, motifs, historic figures, rural girls and boys, lotus flowers and conical hats.
Minh Long ceramics has developed far and wide, and become the pride not only of Binh Duong but all of Vietnam, for the beautiful and genuine expression of Vietnamese culture. The Son Ha Cam Tu tea-pot (National Marvel), that has struck Professor Tran Van Khe an overseas Vietnamese musician, is perhaps the most interesting. The tea-pot is in the shape of a traditional jar and the lid the shape of a conical hat, a symbol of rural Vietnam, while the motif portrays the Vietnamese legend of Rong Tien (Dragon-Fairy) ancestors. The dark red ceramic decorated, with golden and green enamel, elevates the tea pot to the perfection. With untiring efforts and experiments, Mr Minh has realized his dream with his unique products.
Mr Minh attributes part of his success to his wife, who took care of the family so that he could focus on ceramics. He also wrote in a handbook ”Ceramics is part of my life”. And we can rightly expect that he will continue to create excellent products for society.
From a household workshop, Mr Ly Ngoc Minh has founded Minh Long Ceramics Co. Ltd, worth over US$40 million and creating 1,700 jobs. The products have been exported to Japan, France, Germany, Switzerland and the US, with export value making up 70-80 per cent of turnover (US$8.7 million or 8 per cent of Binh Duong ceramic export turnover).
“An entrepreneur needs a good Heart. With WTO membership, besides capital, he must have good knowledge and faith. Both winning and losing is normal in business. One can never succeed without taking risks in business.” Mr Ly Ngoc Minh concluded.
Hoang Lam
Vietnamese
