Childhood favorites for 90 years + the bane of bare feet everywhere — LEGO is investing $1 billion for a new facility in Chesterfield County. Governor Glenn Youngkin and the LEGO Group made the announcement at the Science Museum of Virginia yesterday morning, saying this building will be the company’s US manufacturing base.
Construction will begin in the fall with a completion date sitting at 2025. Once the 1.7 million sqft facility is finished and ~1,760 jobs are filled, LEGO will process and pack its products there.
Did you know? LEGO machinery can mold the bricks to the accuracy of the width of a hair so each brick can match perfectly.
LEGO has six other factories in the US, but the VA location will differ with the inclusion of a solar park. The park will allow the facility to operate as a carbon-neutral site.
“There are not many [carbon neutral factories] around, and especially not of the size we’ll be doing here,” Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the LEGO Group, said. “It’s not necessarily a world first, but it will be a world best.”
Chesterfield proved itself to be a top choice for the toy company’s expansion due to its proximity to major markets, ability to support renewable energy + access to highly skilled manufacturing talent.
Though it may be a ways off until LEGO products come off the line in Central VA, Christiansen says the company plans on supporting the community, including possible partnerships with school systems.
“We have great partnerships wherever we are… so that the LEGO brand is something that not just exists in stores and shelves around but it also exists where we are,” Christiansen said.
Bonus: Got a LEGO enthusiast in the fam? The Bricks 4 Kidz organization offers after-school programs and summer camps that promote creative play, STEM lessons + a fun place to build something new all with LEGO.
