Sitting at Luc Thuy coffee shop overlooking Guom lake, Ho Minh Hoang - Chairman of Deoca Group passionately talks about love, about the eternal beauty of the autumn in Hanoi. Round body, round face and even round eyes. The simplicity, clarity and full of creative energy from him warm up the foggy and windy space.
“Send love to homeland”
Being born in Binh Dinh, brought up in Phu Yen, Ho Minh Hoang was raised by the tradition of a revolutionary family bearing the surname of Ho in Quynh Luu – Nghe An. His grandfather and grandmother were martyrs, his father was a commando. In Ho Minh Hoang is the convergence of stuff and culture of many regions. It is the will to overcome difficulties, eager to learn, to work hard of the people of Nghe land. It is the bravery, chivalry, self-sacrifice of the Binh Dinh land. It is also the uprightness, courage, and dignity, always believing in themselves and in the people of the residents of Phu Yen land. Since childhood, his soul has been imbued with the source of love through every lullaby of his mother: Ai về Bình Định thăm cha/Phú Yên thăm mẹ, Khánh Hòa thăm em”; “Chợ Sông Cầu một tháng sáu phiên/Anh đi không đặng, gửi lời nguyền thăm em”…
Being a province in the central of Vietnam, 3 sides of Phu Yen face mountains. Here, the stone merges into the cultural flow, penetrates into the land, water source, creating the soul, essence and resilience of the people. The stone and culture heritages become the pride not only of Phu Yen but also of all Vietnamese people. But with Ho Minh Hoang, he has a different perspective as well as different way of thinking about stone and mountain. In a poem, he wrote: “Nhìn lên non cao mây đen giăng ngang, vách đá khăn tang trắng màu biệt ly/Tuổi thanh xuân ơi lợi danh những gì, còn hơn thiên lý - cung đường từ bi” (*).
President Ho Minh Hoang worked with the leaders of Cao Bang province.
To him, stone is not only blood and flesh but also a “vành khăn tang trắng màu biệt ly” and it followed him during his young age which was the dream of a “merciful path”. Then, 10 years later, a miracle was woven from the deep love to the homeland, with the will and boundless determination. At the holy moment, General Director Ho Minh Hoang hugged a bouquet of flowers and pressed the button to clear the works of Ca Pass Road Tunnel full of happiness “When completing Ca Pass Road Tunnel project, I have paid the debt to my homeland, grandparents and parents”. It is also his enthusiasm and heart throughout his life: “Gửi bao yêu thương cho quê hương, giục lòng vững bước đôi chân lên đường”.(*)
“Difficulty and hardship bring up a hero”
On a trip to Ca Pass Road Tunnel project, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed: “This was a big project with significant meaning to the economics and society when it was the first time a private company of Vietnam took the initiative in capital, researched, applied and mastered the tunnel construction technology, meeting the technical criteria and international quality”.
Ca Pass Tunnel is marked as a typical project.
So what is the important foundation for Ho Minh Hoang and Deoca Group to make miracle? Sitting in front of a guy born in 1971 with very bright eyes and pleasant smile, I wonder and imagine a “crazy” Hoang of 10 years ago, when he hesitantly knocked on the door of each office of functional authorities to express “Sir, I am Ho Minh Hoang, I want to propose the project on Ca Pass road tunnel”. Looking at the round and young face, in his rustic figure, everyone looked at each other laughing at a “crazy” idea.
But to be successful, the dream is not enough but it needs a “brave” stuff, breakthrough and creative thinking, a strategy to improve the arts. For Ho Minh Hoang, the saying of the genius Isaac Newton: “If I see farther because I stand on the shoulders of giants” is always true in every situation. Firstly, the mobilization and use of investment capital, construction of management model is suitable. The strategy of “standing on the shoulders of giants” is thoroughly used by Ho Minh Hoang in human use - the crucial lever for the resounding success of Deoca brand. Talking to me, Hoang shared: “I think that the most important thing is how to spread my ideas and determination to everyone”.
Closely following Mr. Hoang is a Board of Consultants with profound knowledge, experience, and his masters and soulmates. The common point of these people is to give the respect and a never-ending trust to a smart and intelligent Ho Minh Hoang with extraordinary energy in all circumstances but always having the affectionateness and faithfulness and humanity.
I have seen his fierce debates on several forums, listened him reading poetry, singing lyrical songs on prom nights. Behind the drastic and strong factors is a clear but lonely Ho Minh Hoang mixed with pity and bitterness. He overcame himself, reminding himself, “Hardship, the Central land brings up the hero” (*) to make “Dan Dan Heart” leading the way to success.
The path to Ca Pass Tunnel.
“Think differently, make a difference”
That is the slogan of Deoca Group. “Think differently” is the motto from the time acting as Chairman of Hai Thach Cooperative with the symbol of a left foot. “Thinking differently” is an important reason for the success of Deoca Group’s current brand with the symbol of a book, a broader strategy and imagination is a covered and sheltered roof.
There is an interesting story about Ho Minh Hoang that if not witnessing, certainly few people will not believe it. At the decisively strategic meetings of the Group, or the normal talks, sometimes the image of a man in cassock and a man in a brown suit. They are Father Joseph Nguyen Manh Khoa and monk Thich Tinh Tue. They come to Ho Minh Hoang as confidants, sharing the spirit of Buddhist scriptures with the Gospel life of God. The special thing is that when being with Ho Minh Hoang, they have the difference in religion but they happily shake hands, happily joined hands to talk about human life. The strange attraction of Ho Minh Hoang makes a difference. In Father Khoa, he learns the “un-disturbance”, in Monk Tue, he saw the “purification”, from which he finds the principle of “Concentration – Orientation – Quantification” for himself and for his company. That is the vision, the profound understanding of Ho Minh Hoang when handling the work, to bring back the success.
Chairman Ho Minh Hoang and colleagues.
Looking back on the 10-year journey, from the model of a construction cooperative, it develops into a strong Deoca Group as present with the success as the legend, imprinting the image of the leader named Ho Minh Hoang. Determining the change to exist and develop, Deoca Group continues to restructure aiming at “3 bests”. That is, “The largest transport infrastructure investor; The strongest general contractor and the most professional financial investor”. Especially, Ho Minh Hoang continues to plan the long term strategies and policies by investing abroad, establishing Deoca California Company (USA) to attract foreign investors to invest capital in projects in Vietnam through Deoca Group - a new development step for becoming a multinational company.
Chairman Ho Minh Hoang spoke about the development orientation of the Group during the restructuring meeting.
Conclusion
As a karma, I met him on a volunteer trip “Gratefulness to the martyr journalists”. The compassion of a kind and sharing heart is a bond for him to accompany meaningful humanitarian activities of the Vietnam Journalists Association. He became a sponsor for the activities of the Women’s Journalists Club. And recently, after the pilgrimage to the source, he decided to invest in a road worth over 3 billion VND in the Historical Site in Diem Mac commune, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province, where 68 years ago, Vietnam Journalists Association was born.
There have been many articles writing about him, there are many stories about him. For me, whenever thinking of him, I remember the saying “What comes from the heart will come to the heart”. Yes, Ho Minh Hoang has been living and dedicating the whole of his ardent heart!
Hanoi, October 2018
(*) Extracted from the poem “Legend of a road” by Ho Minh Hoang.
By Ha Hong Duong
