When the global economy entered a recession in 2023, the wood supply chain was disrupted, import prices soared, and consumption demand sharply declined. Many Vietnamese wood enterprises struggled to adapt. Thien Huong was no exception to this volatility. Nguyen Ngoc Uyen Nhi, the company representative, stated that in 2023, due to the general recession, the company's revenue dropped by 50% to 60% compared to previous years. This decline led to a standstill in production and business activities, forcing many investment plans to be postponed. After deducting operating costs, this revenue level was insufficient to cover expenses, resulting in the company experiencing negative cash flow.

At this time, the older generation in the family maintained a mindset of "we've preserved this craft for three generations; surely we won't lose it now?", intending to simply wait for the difficulties to pass. In contrast, the younger generation, represented by Nhi, sought to proactively implement changes and find a new direction.

Growing up amidst the sound of saws and chisels but maturing in the era of widespread Internet, Nhi quickly recognized that the problem extended beyond economic fluctuations to include shifts in customer behavior. Today's buyers seek information and evaluate suppliers through social media rather than relying on word-of-mouth within the craft village. If the business continued with its traditional model, its market would shrink, despite significant external opportunities.

Driven by this insight, she decided to lead Thien Huong on a transformation journey: building a brand, engaging in social media communication, and moving the company's image beyond its long-standing traditional framework.

The initial step involved redesigning the brand identity to be more modern while retaining Ho Nai's distinct character. Concurrently, the company opened social media channels and experimented with producing product introduction videos. This approach initially met with resistance from older family members, who felt it was "a waste of effort, and no one will watch". Indeed, the first videos achieved very low engagement.

Nhi analyzed the reasons for this, realizing that the content at that time focused only on products and prices, lacking knowledge or emotional appeal for viewers. Subsequently, Thien Huong invested in better filming and editing equipment and concentrated on creating valuable content. This included topics such as: distinguishing various types of wood, sharing import processes, providing market updates, and introducing the culture and history of Ho Nai carpentry. This deeper content helped the channels begin to attract an organic audience.

This shift in mindset yielded clear results. In the first 10 months of this year, Thien Huong's Facebook followers increased from 1,000-2,000 to 18,000 people. The customer base expanded from small local workshops to large projects in Lam Dong, Ben Tre, Gia Lai, and Ha Noi. Many major clients discovered the workshop through its educational wood-related videos.

"Before, local customers would buy only one or two containers at a time. Now, customers from the Mekong Delta order 10 containers of wood at once, and they found our workshop through social media," Nhi recounted.

Thanks to digital transformation, Thien Huong quickly became a renowned wood distributor in Southern Vietnam and gained recognition from the media and the wood industry community. In 2025, the company received the Top 10 imported wood enterprises award at the Asian Top Brands Award ceremony, marking its journey beyond the craft village to achieve regional standing.

Not content with its current success, Thien Huong aims to develop an online wood sales model, boost livestreaming, and create content series about the history of the craft village, guides on distinguishing real from fake wood, and market education.

According to Nhi, the goal of developing a social media presence is not solely about effective sales, but also about spreading the value of the three-generation carpentry craft and bringing the story of wood closer to the community. Many experts observe that in an era when numerous traditional industries face challenges, Thien Huong's journey demonstrates the power of adaptation: when mindsets embrace innovation, even a purely artisanal industry like wood can create a major turning point.

Hoang Anh

Learn more about the business at website: baigodongnai.com