On April 11, 2014, the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a conference to summarize 10 years of implementation of the Development Strategy of Vietnam's Mechanical Industry. On this occasion, I propose a story with him on the topic: Mechanical engineering through the lens of a business. He nodded, the success or failure story of Quang Trung Group may also have many similarities with other mechanical businesses and the Group industry in general.

People talk too much about your success and Quang Trung Group, you don't like me writing about this anymore. Which is the 5,000-tonne crane at Se San 3 Hydropower Plant, the 1,200-tonne crane at Son La Hydroelectricity, and then the construction of the offshore oil pipe for PVN, the floating seaport in Hai Ha (Quang Ninh), the generator electromagnetic wave energy in Hai Hau (Nam Dinh) ... By just saying those things, people will mistakenly think that, doing mechanical ... is so easy. As a result, if the new investment in mechanical engineering fails, it will be discouraging. Therefore, it is very important to mention the failures, let investors in mechanics believe that failure is only part of the story, that they can learn from those failures, and that Failures are the necessary steps to success for those who persevere.

Portrait of General Director Nguyen Tang Cuong - Labor Hero is always energetic

Conclusion like that, Mr. Cuong told a series of his failures before coming to success. When he first started repairing motorcycles and bicycles, he had an idea of ​​casting cylinder. But day after day, the cylinders that came together were ... broken. With a curious nature and a passion for technology, he refused to give up, eventually his ambition of casting the cylinder also succeeded, making him one of the first cylinder casters in Vietnam in the 80s. After This, when he established the Enterprise in 1991, he had a dynamic decision: to make special steel with heat and wear resistance, which most blood experts at the time considered "paranoid". Leaving aside his ears, he bought Russian books about tinkering with steel while just starting to break up basic concepts like "steel other than iron in carbon content". As a result, no steel has been made. Friends and colleagues have the opportunity to rejoin the counsel, but he does not feel discouraged but reorganizes books and work trips to many practical learning places. Remembering back then, he said, these were the most breathtaking days in the process: failure to learn how to cook failed to learn from experience. Later, the failed cooking times still bring inspiration because he knows that the destination is sure and very close. Indeed, God did not betray people, after many years of hard work, finally Quang Trung Group also launched a register product for Bim Son Cement Plant, followed by a series of broken sheet and plate products. heat resistant linings, chains ... for the Cement Industry.

Now that he thought about it, he said that he had never stepped into a new field of success, from casting cast iron, making special steel, to making lifting equipment. Most recently, before the successful production of generators from wave energy, he failed seven times. Even when he successfully produces special steel or cranes, he has to work hard, even using familiar relationships to dislodge the psychology of customers that have put their trust in the product. imported.

Front is the peak

Listening to his story, for some reason, I always echoed the poem of Xuan Dieu poet: "The time when the furnace rises into smoke / When the backpack starts to depart". The poem is about a builder, every time a work is completed, they do not have time to sit and watch their work and carry their backpack to conquer new heights. Anh Cuong, too. Reviewing from the first days of starting a business, he jumped into any field are new types at all, seems no one dared to do it?

When Quang Trung Group has cooked all kinds of special steel grades to create details in the harsh environment for the cement industry, chemicals ..., he thought that he had a high pillow and enjoyed all the hard working days. foursome. But no, how much profit did he throw steel socks into a new decision: manufacturing Vietnamese branded cranes. No one in the country had a crane to learn from reality, so he went abroad. Practical experience along with book knowledge helps him to find a specific structure that helps reduce material, increase torque 3 times, bringing the localization rate of Quang Trung Group lifting equipment. up to 90%.

However, the importance of foreign goods is not easy to dismiss sooner, especially for dangerous projects such as hydroelectricity. Only when the foreign partner delayed delivery for more than a year and a half at Se San 3 Hydropower, the investor was in danger of having to pay an overdue interest of VND 250 billion, Quang Trung Group would have the opportunity to show the capacity to make bridges. lifting capacity of 500 tons within 3 months, contributing to serving the dry season electricity in 2006. Since then, Quang Trung Group has been trusted by EVN as a partner to provide cranes for a variety of hydropower projects. However, to the largest hydroelectric project in Southeast Asia - Son La Hydroelectricity - although he tried to convince Quang Trung Mechanical to make a crane, he still had the idea of ​​"causing difficulties and difficulties". The reason is simple, in Vietnam no one has been able to build a 1,200 ton crane. His experience in Dong Nai 3, Dong Nai 4 hydroelectricity, in Song Tranh, Huoi Quang, Ban Chat and Hua Na ... is not convincing enough, because he is still a crane of less than 1,000 tons. However, the pride of the nation and the desire to prove the ability of the mechanical engineering of the country have urged him to bring the property, life and the title of Labor Hero to guarantee. His bravery, intelligence and pure mind were finally accepted by the state management agency and the investor. The successful lowering of the 1,200-ton crane has shortened the construction schedule of Son La Hydroelectric Plant, making it into the Top 10 typical science and technology events in 2010; His "Application of 5 scientific and technological solutions for manufacturing all kinds of lifting and lifting equipment in Vietnam" was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize in science and technology. While his reputation as famous as alcohol, people dubbed him as "steel king", "crane king", he quietly made new decisions: making floating ports, making wave power generators the sea ..., and now it is the construction of a suspension bridge of international standard but according to the Vietnamese standard module to serve the proposal of the Ministry of Transport on the construction of a suspension bridge for people in 55 provinces to eradicate monkey bridges and temporary bridges, ensure traffic safety, especially in provinces with difficult geographical areas and places where few ethnic minorities live.

Apparently, at any turning point in the life of Labor Hero Nguyen Tang Cuong always exists a peak ahead inviting him to conquer.

Great school is life

So far, in his award collection, he seems to be missing nothing, from the most prestigious awards such as the Ho Chi Minh Prize in science and technology, the title of Labor Hero in the renovation period. , First-class Labor Medal, Vifotech Award, Vietnam Quality Gold Award ..., even the works written about him have also won the Golden Prize at the National Documentary Film Festival (that is "Flower of steel" by director Tran Cam, Radio THVN produced in 2005). When asked about the secret to success, he said: Must have passion for science, take science and technology to rise up. But the paradox is, the person who is passionate about science, who values ​​talents is one of the secrets to managing that enterprise, without any degrees or degrees. Paradoxically, there is no degree or degree, but he repeatedly made scientists "fall" and the works of Quang Trung Engineering always belong to the forefront of science and technology, from crane 500. tons, 1,200 tons to 6 meter crane rotation tables, floating ports, ocean wave power generators ...

No degree, no degree, doesn't mean you didn't study. Only thing, that learning has a broader connotation, not necessarily confined to the school. He said that each person has a unique way of learning, scientists can be successful in school. As for me, school is about life. I study through books, learn by observation, learn by failure.

Observing his life, we see his self-study as the main. Saying like Aristotle: "Self-learners always have a huge source of inner inspiration, called passion." So what are you passionate about? Money reasonable? If because of money, maybe he stopped "playing" in cooking specialty steel, he would make a lot of money, and become a giant. If for the sake of fame, he will only go deep into the cranes, his field is awarded the "king". But no, above all, he still engrossed in conquering new heights, because in him there is an "enormous energy source" that is the pain of why many mechanical devices have to be imported. High cost, while the local machine manufacturing industry is always underemployed, a part of skilled people have to find the left hand to make a living? He works to prove that, in most mechanical fields, Vietnamese people can do it.

- According to the Journal of Industry and Trade -