In a conversation with Business Management magazine about his entrepreneurial journey, the founder of the Ca Men brand, Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan, shared: “With Ca Men, beyond the business story that brings profits, we always aim to create value for the community, especially for farmers in my hometown of Quang Tri. This spirit has given Ca Men enough motivation to overcome the hardships of starting a business.”
Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan has long nurtured the dream of “Taking Quang Tri to the world” and has always been driven by the desire to realize that dream.
Leaving behind a dream job with a salary of nearly $2000, in 2015, Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan founded Ca Men with the mission of “Bringing Quang Tri into the city.” After many dedicated months of research and market exploration, by 2022, Ca Men launched packaged snakehead fish porridge, rich in the flavors of Quang Tri, and began “Taking Quang Tri to the world.” Additionally, Ca Men has developed other packaged products like hotpot sauces, eel vermicelli, and stir-fried turmeric eel noodles.
From the outset, this company has determined to always follow the official path, providing quality products that meet requirements, ensuring their reputation is not tarnished abroad.
Entrepreneurship Tied to Homeland
Business Management: In June 2023, in Ho Chi Minh City, the startup Ca Men and LNS International Corporation held a signing ceremony for the exclusive distribution of Quang Tri snakehead fish porridge and other packaged products from Ca Men in the U.S. market. What values has the startup achieved since the export signing?
Founder of Ca Men – Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan: Initially, when launching the packaged snakehead fish porridge, Ca Men still performed all the steps manually. However, when given the opportunity to work with large partners like LNS International Corporation, Ca Men received moral support and advice on machinery and technology.
Since the signing ceremony with LNS International Corporation in June 2023, the company has exported three containers of snakehead fish porridge to the U.S., totaling nearly 150,000 packages, achieving revenue of nearly VND 5 billion.
Thanks to the success of exporting to the U.S., Ca Men has also connected with partners who export consumer goods to markets like Canada, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
With the positive reception of our products in the U.S. market, we are currently working to sign additional contracts with potential new markets such as Japan and Europe.
Business Management: Many were impressed by your statement at the recent talk show “Golden Opportunities for Exporting Startups” in Ho Chi Minh City: “For startups, challenges are always a ‘companion,’ but we strive not only for Ca Men but also for the farmers in our hometown of Quang Tri.” Is this perhaps the motivation that has helped Ca Men overcome the difficulties on its entrepreneurial journey?
Founder of Ca Men – Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan: For Ca Men, beyond the business story that brings profits, we always aim to create value for the community, especially for farmers in my hometown of Quang Tri.
As of now, Ca Men has partnered with cooperatives in Quang Tri province by purchasing agricultural products such as snakehead fish, eel, rice, pepper, chili powder, shallots, and fish sauce. Currently, more than 50 farmers have stable monthly incomes through collaboration with Ca Men.
We aim for that number to increase many times in the future. By making daily efforts not only for ourselves but also to support the farmers and promote the specialties of Quang Tri to friends around the world, this spirit has given Ca Men the motivation to overcome many hardships of entrepreneurship.
Investing in Technology and Management Processes
Now, when people want to enjoy Quang Tri specialties, many think immediately of Ca Men.
Business Management: To unlock the golden door, you need the right golden key. So, to achieve the values you have today and overcome future challenges, what do you think is that “key”?
Founder of Ca Men – Nguyen Duc Nhat Thuan: We believe that after the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses have faced great difficulties, and Ca Men is no exception. Therefore, Ca Men always strives to learn and upgrade ourselves and our team to be ready to face the upcoming challenges. We have not yet focused heavily on expanding our brand; we need more time.
During economic difficulties and crises worldwide, we have shifted to smaller partners, so the export opportunities are still considerable. Instead of exporting one container to one unit, we now combine 10 markets into one container to maintain our team and ensure that our products have a place in the market. We believe that after overcoming economic difficulties, Ca Men will have more opportunities.
Along with investing in machinery and factories, we are committed to continuous learning to improve product quality. Ca Men also places great emphasis on building a system. We have a process for assigning tasks to each department, and each position is responsible for their work, ensuring everything runs smoothly. If partners require information feedback or product upgrades, we can execute them as quickly as possible. The company also uses software to better manage operations.
In the near future, Ca Men will surely research and develop more products that can meet customer needs and help overseas Vietnamese ease their homesickness by enjoying delicious, rustic dishes from Quang Tri.
