LEGO Group’s new manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, near Richmond, Virginia was originally announced as a US$1 billion, 1.7 million sq ft factory planned to create around 1,760 jobs. It has since evolved into a larger, US$1.5 billion manufacturing and renewable energy campus slated to begin operations in 2027. Construction continues on the main production structures and a distribution center complex, with the company now integrating a major 80-acre solar park featuring more than 30,700 ground-mounted panels and additional rooftop solar arrays to help meet 100% renewable energy goals for the site’s electricity needs. More than 500 workers are already on site, with staffing expected to ramp up toward nearly 900 construction roles by late 2026 and full operational employment aligned with advanced automated molding, processing, and packing systems. Additionally, this rollout reflects LEGO’s sustainability commitments and strategy to support U.S. production while minimizing energy and distribution emissions.

Project Factsheet for LEGO Manufacturing Facility and Solar Park in Virginia

Location: Chesterfield County, near Richmond, Virginia

Developer: The LEGO Group

Announcement: June 2022

Project Status: Under construction

Targeted Operations Date: 2027

Total Investment: US$1.5 billion

Facility Area: 1.7 million sq ft (160,000 m2)

Solar Park Size: 80 acres

Solar Panels: 30,700 ground-mounted units plus additional rooftop arrays

Energy Goal: On-site solar to contribute to 100% renewable electricity target

Employment at Operations: More than 1,700 permanent jobs

Employment at Construction: 500; more than 900 at peak

Key Partners and Contractors:

• Gray-Hourigan Joint Venture as general contractor
• LS3P Associates Ltd. as architecture
• Timmons Group as engineering partner
• Cowi A/S & Arkitema A/S in planning & sustainability
• Dominion Energy Virginia as power utility
• Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Plans Announced for Construction of LEGO Group Facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia

Reported June 18, 2022 – Plans for the construction of a Lego Group facility in the state of Virginia have been announced by the Danish toy production company based in Billund, Denmark. The $1 billion (£825 million) factory will be the group’s first in the US and the seventh with the goal of shortening the supply chain and supporting long-term growth in the Americas.

It will be designed to be carbon-neutral in operation. All of its daily energy requirements will be met by renewable energy generated on-site by the solar park. The site will also be designed to use as little energy and non-renewable resources as possible. When finished, the 160,000m2 facility will employ over 1,760 people.

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“This is an exciting step for the Lego Group,” stated Lego Group CEO Niels Christiansen. More and more families are falling in love with Lego building, and we are excited to produce Lego bricks in the United States, one of our largest markets. The location in Virginia allows us to construct a solar park, which supports our sustainability goals and provides easy access to national transit systems. We are also excited about creating fantastic job opportunities for the residents of Virginia.”

Details on the First LEGO US Factory Construction Located in Chesterfield County, Near Richmond in Virginia

Construction at the Lego facility in Virginia will start in the autumn of this year, with production set to begin in the second half of 2025. In early 2024, a temporary packaging facility will open in an existing structure nearby, creating up to 500 jobs.

The new Virginia factory will mould, process, and also pack Lego products to ensure they meet the company’s safety and quality standards. Each Lego brick is also crafted to a hair’s width (0.005mm) accuracy to guarantee the perfect ‘clutch power’ that holds Lego creations together.

Lego factories in Europe and China are also being expanded, and the Group revealed a proposal to construct a factory in Vietnam in December 2021 to aid further growth in Asia. The Lego Group employs roughly 2,600 people in the United States, where it has been in business since the 1960s. Its US headquarters are in Enfield, Connecticut, and the company operates 100 Lego-branded stores across the country.