The VinFast factory construction project proceeded at an astonishing pace, a fact well-known to many. However, the intricate details of this feat are rarely elaborated upon. I’m curious: What is the fastest construction record you’ve achieved for a factory?
Le Hong Quan: It took… 14 days. I once directly oversaw the construction of a 12,000m2 factory, and we completed it in just two weeks.
How did that come about?
Le Hong Quan: It was towards the end of 2022. The Vingroup Chairman personally visited the project site and realized the urgent need for a large warehouse to store inventory. Soon after his departure, VinFast convened a meeting to announce: Within 14 days, the main contractor, Coteccons, needed to construct a nearly 12,000m2 production facility, approximately 1.2 hectares. The request was made one day, and the next morning, the investor had handed over the site.
Ensuring such a rapid timeline without any prior preparation was a significant challenge. At that time, Coteccons was already working on 3-4 critical projects for VinFast, and none of them could afford any delays due to this new request.
The factory design was handled by another party, so we had to collaborate with them from the outset to plan and calculate all aspects, including manpower and resources…
The most crucial consideration at that time was ensuring that the materials could be immediately installed upon arrival. This meant that the design had to be compatible with readily available or easily procurable high-quality materials. Designing with entirely new materials would have been challenging, as we would have had to source them after the fact. Ordering from abroad or specialized factories would have undoubtedly caused delays. This was the most brain-racking aspect, and we were fortunate to coordinate with the investor and the design team to finalize this approach.
After finalizing the design, we established a daily reporting mechanism with the investor: reporting when steel would arrive, when the foundation would be poured, when the roof would be installed, and so on. Our team worked in three shifts, and the construction site was abuzz with activity around the clock.
As a large contractor, Coteccons has a diverse inventory. Moreover, we maintained close relationships with leading domestic material manufacturers to expedite the process, sending trucks day and night to bring materials to the site as soon as they became available.
Given the large scale of the factory, after four days, Coteccons erected the first steel columns. While we were still pouring concrete on one end, we were already urging the construction of the steel structure on the other, rather than proceeding sequentially as is typically done. In general, we had to divide and conquer, much like deploying troops to conquer different territories.
There’s a memorable anecdote from the night before the handover: a section of the roof remained unfinished. That night, we mobilized an array of machinery, equipment, and personnel to work at 200% capacity, and by dawn, we officially completed the task. The investor also took possession swiftly, like lightning. By noon, we had handed over the site, and by the evening, they had taken over operations. It was truly lightning-fast.
Building a factory in such a short time must have felt like going to war. During those intense 14 days, did you encounter any significant obstacles?
Le Hong Quan: (Laughs) We had to calculate every hour meticulously, and yet we still encountered several external factors beyond our control. There was a day of stormy weather, a day of power outage, and a day of road closure due to the investor hosting a VIP guest.
We could manage the power outage with our generators. However, the road closure coincided with a surge in the delivery of materials and construction supplies, creating immense pressure. Adding to the challenge, this factory was situated between two other factories that Coteccons was constructing, forcing us to accelerate the progress on those projects as well. The atmosphere at the construction site was tense.
Nonetheless, none of these difficulties could become excuses for delaying our timeline. Fourteen days meant precisely that: fourteen days.
Our unwavering commitment impressed the investor. They even believed that Coteccons could have done it faster, and in the future, constructing a factory in 14 days wouldn’t be a daunting task. Perhaps because of this, after this milestone, we continued to deliver several more factories to VinFast with similar timelines.
That’s a sincere and valuable recognition from the investor, but on the other hand, I think it also aligns with the general trend in the construction industry, where everything is becoming more modern. For example, in China, they can build skyscrapers in just a few days…
Le Hong Quan: (Laughs) I’d like to emphasize this: Perhaps in 10 or 20 years, constructing a 1-hectare factory in 14 days will be commonplace. But when we undertook this project, it was unprecedented in Vietnam! Coteccons was a pioneer, doing something no one had done before.
I acknowledge that China currently has certain advantages over us. However, I must point out that to build a skyscraper in a few days, aside from an experienced contractor, substantial investment, and state-of-the-art machinery and equipment, China also benefits from having companies that prefabricate modules in their warehouses. When needed, these modules are transported to the construction site for assembly. This is why we see buildings and hospitals erected so swiftly in China. In contrast, Vietnam lacks such prefabrication facilities. At VinFast, we employed the fast-track approach, designing and constructing simultaneously, which meant we couldn’t prepare the steel structure in advance.
Moreover, while the assembly may take only a few days, Chinese contractors spend several months or even a year designing and producing the prefabricated concrete blocks. In our case, when we started the 14-day project, we had nothing in hand except the investor’s requirements. That’s a significant difference.
To be honest, outsiders might not fully grasp the challenges you faced. They might easily conclude that with a generous budget, accelerating the timeline isn’t overly difficult…
Le Hong Quan: Expedited construction also requires substantial financial resources, encompassing various factors such as robust finances to flexibly support teams and suppliers in urgent situations; the ability to adapt and handle situations by Coteccons engineers, always striving to ensure progress while maintaining quality, safety, and harmonious relationships with consultants, subcontractors, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
For instance, to meet the deadline, we had to be agile. As soon as materials arrived, we transported them directly to the construction site instead of waiting to consolidate shipments to save costs.
The company also provided utmost support to ensure progress, quality, and construction safety. For instance, while we used to require approval for material imports, that process had to change. Although Coteccons has a culture of empowerment, with each project director acting as a CEO, the 14-day timeline left little room for the usual sequential procedures. Our subcontractors and suppliers understood our situation and didn’t insist on finalizing contracts before delivering goods. They responded immediately to our calls, demonstrating exceptional determination.
Our team worked tirelessly, and the company rewarded them generously, promptly, and directly. All suppliers and subcontractors involved in this project received special recognition.
However, financial resources are just one aspect; execution capability is the key.
We had to juggle multiple tasks: brainstorming, designing, importing goods, allocating personnel and equipment… Take the transportation of materials, for instance; we had to strategize by prioritizing what to bring first, what to buy, and what could be produced. Then there was the challenge of coordinating and connecting the various departments, much like assembling a Lego set, ensuring everything fit together seamlessly…
Typically, it takes us 5-6 months to construct VinFast factories, but I believe other contractors would need at least a year. For this 14-day project, we had to consult with the investor to cut out non-essential elements. Even with these reductions, it would still take 2-3 months to catch our breath, but we had only 14 days.
I understand the stress and challenges you faced. But I’m also curious about the mental state of everyone involved during that intense period.
Le Hong Quan: We felt like we were boiling inside, like our hands would burn if we touched anything (laughs). The entire command team felt the incredible pressure, including the subcontractors.
Although the command team members were allowed to rest during lunch breaks, they couldn’t sleep soundly at night. We constantly pondered: How can we complete this project as quickly, efficiently, safely, and economically as possible? The workload intensity was relentless from morning to night.
As the commander-in-chief, I had a particularly challenging role, as any decision I made had to be final and correct.
During our meetings, we kept our discussions concise and focused, asking questions like: How many people do we need? How many machines? When will the materials arrive? When will the concrete be poured? When will the roof be installed? What are the obstacles? We zeroed in on the crux of the matter to swiftly address challenges without wasting time on tangents.
Fortunately, such intense situations only occurred at specific points during the project and not every day.
Amidst that boiling pressure, what impression did you form about the investor’s spirit and attitude?
Le Hong Quan: To be honest, Vingroup approaches everything with great determination and speed. They are a bold and visionary enterprise. Their spirit inspired us as contractors, and we shared the belief that nothing is impossible. If we hadn’t thought this way, Coteccons might not have taken on the VinFast project in the first place. This project employed the fast-track model (simultaneous design and construction), which is common worldwide but novel in Vietnam. It expedites progress and saves costs, but it demands exceptional adaptability and capabilities from the contractor and investor.
The challenge here was that no one had ever conceived of building a 12,000m2 factory in just 14 days. Faced with this immense challenge, did the investor and contractor choose to face it head-on? When we witnessed Vingroup’s resolute determination, we, too, became unwavering in our commitment, daring to confront countless difficulties and trials. No matter how daunting the task, we always believed we could succeed. And together, we did.
Have you shared all the challenges you faced during the VinFast project? Are there any other memorable stories?
Le Hong Quan: Not quite. I recall that while we were constructing the shell for an office building, the situation demanded a change in the timeline.
Initially, the timeline was already tight, with VinFast requesting delivery by the end of March 2024. However, to accommodate the visit of the Indonesian President to the factory, we had to complete it by the end of January. Within this overall timeline, there was a specific section that the delegation would pass through, so we had to finish it earlier, by the first half of January, to enhance the aesthetics. This meant two instances of shortened timelines.
Faced with this challenge, Coteccons mobilized all our personnel, from supervisors to workers, operating in three shifts around the clock. From the beginning of December, when we received the news about the accelerated timeline, we worked tirelessly.
The Indonesian President’s visit to the VinFast project site coincided with our year-end party. The project’s command team had registered to attend the event in Quang Ninh. However, with the urgent timeline, the entire command team stayed behind. When the investor’s advance team inspected the site and gave the go-ahead, half of the command team was able to attend the event, but by the time they arrived, the party was almost over.
Together with the investor, we devised two plans: for areas where construction and painting could be completed in time, we would work tirelessly to meet the deadline, and for areas that couldn’t be finished, we would erect a framework and install advertising banners. This turned out to be an impressive display for the VIP guests. When we agreed on this approach, the Vingroup leader requested that the banners be installed by the next morning for the advance team’s inspection.
From 1:00 a.m. to dawn, we worked tirelessly, sending photos to the investor every hour for their review. By morning, the advance team arrived, and we had just finished.
Although the VinFast project was inaugurated and put into operation in 2019, construction continues on additional facilities. What challenges do you face when constructing these new facilities amidst the operational factories?
Le Hong Quan: We always ensure that our construction activities do not disrupt the factory’s operations. Therefore, for areas adjacent to active production lines, the contractor, investor
