Exporting Vietnamese broom handles

Growing up in the poor rural area of Bến Trăm village, Đông Sơn commune, Yên Thế district (Bắc Giang province), Mr. Đoàn Văn Dũng (born 1984) spent many years working as a laborer far from home. That period helped him nurture an entrepreneurial spirit. Eventually, it led to his success with the production model of Vietnamese broom handles on his own hometown land.

After four years working abroad in Taiwan (China), Mr. Dũng returned to his hometown in 2014. While struggling to find his own path to entrepreneurship, he noticed that wood-processing by-products in many workshops were being wasted.

Therefore, he decided to take a loan to open a workshop producing wooden broom handles, using recovered tree cores from these workshops as raw materials. Combining all his savings with a bank loan of nearly one billion VND, Mr. Dũng invested in machinery, expanded the yard, and hired workers.

Vietnamese broom handlees

He visited and learned from several broom-handle production models in Hải Dương, Quảng Ninh, and Hải Phòng. Initially lacking experience, his Vietnamese broom handles did not meet consumer preferences. As a result, the workshop did not make a profit in the first year. Mr. Dũng traveled on his old motorbike promoting his products.

He sold individual broom handles retail, determined not to give up. The young entrepreneur went everywhere—from Hà Nội to Hải Phòng and Hải Dương—willing to sell at lower prices or even give free samples to gain trust. After some time, he received his first orders of wood broom handles.

“With raw materials available and the craft in hand, what is there to fear? The beginning is never easy, but that should not discourage you. Step by step, everything falls into place,” he thought.

Recognizing the growing market demand, Mr. Dũng boldly invested in a modern machinery system. It includes core-cutting machines, straightening machines, lathe machines, shrink-wrap steam ovens, and stapling boards.

Vietnamese broom handle factory

These investments helped produce visually appealing and durable products. To stay competitive, he diligently sought knowledge and experience from friends and the Internet. This laid the foundation for him to bring his Vietnamese broom handles to the international market.

Export orders required strict adherence to factors such as on-time delivery, uniform designs, and precise specifications. Therefore, Mr. Đoàn Văn Dũng focused heavily on the production process. He rigorously inspected every stage.

Being meticulous and demanding in his work, he was never fully satisfied with the status quo. Beyond meeting with partners, the young entrepreneur regularly updates himself on new techniques and product designs.

Currently, Mr. Dũng’s model not only brings economic benefits to his own family but also opens up new opportunities. It actively contributes to local employment and poverty reduction. The wooden broom handles, made from recycled wood by-products, are environmentally friendly and popular with many customers.

Making-wooden-broom-handle process

His products are now available in countries such as Portugal, Turkey, Iran, and China. On average, he sells thousands of Vietnamese broom handles each month. This brings him a profit of around 300 million VND per month.

Prioritizing local labor, his workshop currently employs 20 workers. The average income is 5–6 million VND per person per month. Ms. Nguyễn Thị Yến (born 1987) is a local worker from Bến Trăm village, Đông Sơn commune. She said: “I have been working at Mr. Dũng’s workshop since the very beginning. The job provides a stable income, and I do not have to travel far. Therefore, I have time to take care of my family.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Dũng plans to learn English to facilitate direct transactions with foreign partners without intermediaries. Additionally, he intends to continue investing in modern machinery, expand warehouses, and scale up production and business operations.