LEGO is building a factory in the United States.
The toymaker announced on Wednesday that it is investing more than $1 billion to construct a new factory in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
LEGO factory in Virginia
The LEGO factory in Virginia will be designed to operate as a carbon-neutral facility with a goal to match 100 percent of its energy needs with an onsite solar park and other renewable sources.
“The location in Virginia allows us to build a solar park which supports our sustainability ambitions and provides easy links to country-wide transportation networks,” said Niels B. Christiansen, The LEGO Group CEO, in a statement. “We are also looking forward to creating fantastic employment opportunities for the people of Virginia.”
Construction of the 1.7 million-square-foot (160,000 m2) factory will start this fall, with production projected to begin in the second half of 2025. Once completed, the facility will employ more than 1,760 people.
Like all LEGO facilities, the Virginia factory will use state-of-the-art technology to mold, process and pack LEGO products, and ensure they meet the company’s rigorous safety and quality requirements.
Is the Virginia facility the first LEGO factory in the U.S.?
According to CNN, LEGO previously had a factory in Connecticut, but that facility closed in 2006 ― a time when kids prefer playing with electronics.
The Virginia factory will be LEGO’s seventh factory in the world and the second in the Americas. The first LEGO factory in the Americas is located in Monterrey, Mexico. According to a press release, the Mexico facility will also be expanded and upgraded to meet the growing demand for LEGO products in the region.
“Our new factory in the U.S. and expanded capacity at our existing site in Mexico means we will be able to best support long-term growth in the Americas,” said Carsten Rasmussen, The LEGO Group Chief Operations Officer, in a statement. “We are fortunate to find a location where we can begin construction quickly and create temporary capacity in under two years.”
Where are the other LEGO factories located?
LEGO has three factories in Europe. They are located in Billund, Denmark; Kladno, Czech Republic; and Nyiregyhaza, Hungary.
There is currently one operating LEGO factory in Asia and it can be found in Jiaxing, China. But a LEGO facility in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam is already under construction.