9x Tay people invent hot and cold stove, earn billions

Selling his Dream motorbike for only 2.5 million VND as start-up capital, Nguyen Van Huynh researched and created a multi-purpose stove using firewood and straw to help people use it instead of a water heater.

The solution of Nguyen Van Huynh (29 years old), Tay ethnic group - Director of Huynh Phat Agricultural Service Cooperative (Yen Bai) - is to make a wood-fired hot and cold stove instead of electric or gas water heaters, or solar water heaters, suitable for rural areas.

Huynh said that the stove operates on the principle of natural heat retention, using a tripod instead of a tripod, connecting a pipe system to a water-holding thermos above. When the family cooks rice or soup, heat energy is collected from the stove and transferred to the thermos. This heat energy can heat water after 5-7 minutes and the thermos can keep the heat for up to 48 hours.

"The stove is not modern but is very suitable for people in rural and mountainous areas where firewood and coal are still used and there are no monthly costs compared to using electricity or gas ," Huynh shared.

Huynh Phat kitchen products are installed for people in rural areas of Yen Bai. (Photo: NVCC).

As the youngest of five siblings in An Thinh, Van Yen, a mountainous district in the northern part of Yen Bai province, Huynh's idea originated from his own difficult and poor childhood, where the children grew up shivering all winter, not bathing because of the cold. Huynh said that on cold and rainy winter nights, sitting around the stove, the damp wood smoked acridly, he thought of ways to save wood and reduce smoke, taking advantage of the heat of the stove. Being curious, Huynh took advantage of old scrap materials such as corrugated iron, iron pipes, faucets. to meticulously weld and assemble. For four years, Huynh thought of and experimented with everything he could think of, one model was not discarded, so he started over again, improving every detail. In 2012, the first model was formed, but Huynh temporarily put it aside to go to school and then returned to work in the commune for 2 years.

In 2014, Huynh had the intention to return. He completed the stove shell made of stainless steel with the principle of natural convection, utilizing about 80% of the heat in the thermos. The problem was that the stove consumed the least fuel, had less smoke and dust, but collected the most excess heat energy.

Huynh explained that An Thinh commune is a cinnamon growing area, so there is a lot of waste from cinnamon trees. He used the principle of cinnamon essential oil distillation machine to improve it to suit small households. When the first stove was "baked", Huynh's mother excitedly invited neighbors to bring hot water to use.

The good news spread far and wide, Huynh's multi-function stove became known to many people, from neighboring households, boarding schools, and even teachers in remote areas who came to order. "Not only am I happy because I make money to help my family, the product helps my people's lives become less difficult, which makes me happy," Huynh said.

Starting from scratch at the age of 22, Huynh said he lacked knowledge and experience in business and the market. At first, Huynh sold his Dream for 2.5 million VND and borrowed more money for funding. The 9x guy had to take on every position from director, security guard, marketer to technical installation. In 2016, Huynh Phat commercial kitchen was launched on the market and in 2018, the factory was established to produce in large quantities.

From a few employees, Huynh Phat Agricultural Service Cooperative gradually expanded its production scale and business to 6 products, including hot and cold wood stoves; herbal bath boiler systems; hot and cold boiler systems, steam baths; alcohol boilers and hot and cold rice husk stoves. After 8 years, the products dominated the main market in the Northeast and Northwest regions with 2 production facilities and 6 contract points, 26 agents specializing in selling products, and nearly 40 workers.

"More than 18,000 Huynh Phat product sets have covered many provinces and cities. In 2021, the total revenue of the system reached 12 billion VND ," Huynh shared and added that he will continue to pursue his passion and bring useful products to serve life, especially for people in mountainous areas with many difficulties.

Hot and cold kitchen author Nguyen Van Huynh. (Photo: NVCC).

Vice Chairman of the commune Nguyen Van Chi said that An Thinh is a central commune so the rate of using firewood stoves is not much, but in neighboring communes, Huynh Phat stoves are very popular. He said that the stoves are suitable for rural people, especially where many families have difficult economic conditions, they can take advantage of firewood, sawdust, straw, rice husks that are available and cheap to have hot water for daily life. Mr. Chi acknowledged Huynh's dynamism and creativity, creating jobs for people while helping to get rich on their homeland.

With his creativity contributing to improving life and economic development, Nguyen Van Huynh became the youngest person to be honored as a scientist of farmers in 2022, organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union in coordination with the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.