Lego factory (a real one) to bring nearly 2,000 jobs to Virginia

The Denmark-centered entertainment huge Lego Group will devote much more than $1 billion to construct a new manufacturing plant for its signature plastic toy blocks in Chesterfield County, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared Wednesday.

The 1.7 million-square-foot toy production facility at Meadowville Know-how Park will make additional than 1,760 new positions for the point out, in accordance to a launch from the  Republican governor’s business. It is the most recent in a collection of small business investment and relocation coups for the condition.

“The Lego Group‘s selection to set up its U.S. producing plant in Virginia shines a international highlight on the positive aspects that make the commonwealth the ideal organization place in the country, and we look ahead to a prolonged and effective partnership with this legendary organization,” mentioned Mr. Youngkin, a Republican.

The Virginia internet site, scheduled to commence building later this yr and be thoroughly operational by the second 50 percent of 2025, would be the company’s seventh in the planet and 2nd in the Western Hemisphere. Officers at the Billund, Denmark-based mostly organization, which professional a gross sales boom throughout the world-wide lockdowns induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, say just one explanation for making the new internet site is the source chain worries also exacerbated by the pandemic.

“Our factories are situated close to our biggest markets, which shortens the distance our products have to vacation,” LEGO Main Functioning Officer Carsten Rasmussen claimed in the assertion.

Rep. A. Donald McEachin, the Virginia Democrat whose district includes the manufacturing facility web site, praised the offer for “stimulating financial action in the Increased Richmond location.”

“I search forward to the Lego Group’s good results right here in the commonwealth,” Mr. McEachin stated.

The Virginia Financial Improvement Partnership worked with Chesterfield County, the Bigger Richmond Partnership and the General Assembly’s Big Work and Expense Task Acceptance Commission to finalize the arrangement.

“We had been impressed with all that Virginia has to supply, from obtain to a competent workforce, guidance for higher-high-quality producers, and great transport inbound links,” stated Niels B. Christiansen, CEO of the Lego Group, in a assertion. “We enjoy support for our ambition to make a carbon-neutral run facility and build a solar park and are wanting forward to creating a great workforce with aid from the Virginia Expertise Accelerator Method.”

Subject matter to the General Assembly’s approval, the governor’s office environment stated the Lego Group will be qualified to acquire a grant of $56 million for bringing in investment dollars and building work. That acceptance would seem probably specified the bipartisan support for the manufacturing facility on Wednesday.
Point out Sen. Joseph Morrissey, a Democrat whose district also consists of Chesterfield County, explained in a statement he was “so pleased” with the offer.

“I would like to personally thank both equally Governor Youngkin as properly as the Lego Team for producing this joint selection to commit in Central Virginia,” Mr. Morrissey mentioned.

Lego‘s U.S. headquarters is primarily based in Enfield, Connecticut, internet site of the now-shut factory for the enterprise. The work opportunities made with the Chesterfield County internet site would boost the company’s U.S. work base by approximately two-thirds.

Lego officers claimed in a assertion that the manufacturing facility will operate as a carbon-neutral facility, with all of its working day-to-day electricity needs to be matched by renewable power generated by an onsite photo voltaic park. A temporary packaging web page is planned for an present developing close by in early 2024 and will develop up to 500 employment, the enterprise said.