The Lego Group and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday that the renowned Danish toymaker will pour out $1 billion to build a 1.7-million-square-foot production plant in the Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County.
In a statement, Governor Glenn Youngkin said, the Lego Group's decision to establish its U.S. manufacturing plant in Virginia "shines a global spotlight on the advantages that make the commonwealth the best business location in the nation."
It will be Lego's sixth factory worldwide and its first in the United States, where Legos have been sold since the 1960s. Currently, the majority of Legos sold in the U.S. are manufactured in Monterrey, Mexico.
"We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with this iconic company," Youngkin said.
This transformative initiative will create more than 1,760 jobs and strengthen Virginia's manufacturing sector, which continues its revival thanks to large investments by high-caliber corporate partners such as the Lego Group.
The announcement is another economic development success for Youngkin, who recently announced that The Boeing Company would be relocating its headquarters to Arlington County.
Raytheon Technologies Corporation, a defense contractor, also recently announced it would relocate its headquarters to Arlington.
At a recent Boeing event in Northern Virginia, Youngkin stated, "I am actively recruiting companies to relocate to Virginia. This is one of the first things we did when we declared Virginia open for business."
Lego stated in its announcement that building on the plant will begin in the fall, with Lego block production commencing in the second half of 2025.
Jobs at the plant are anticipated to be posted by the end of the year or the beginning of 2023. Lego announced that a temporary packaging facility will open in an adjacent building in early 2024, creating up to 500 jobs.
The state said that the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Chesterfield County, the Greater Richmond Partnership, and the General Assembly's Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission collaborated to secure the Lego project.
Lego will be eligible for a $56 million performance incentive from the state as a result of its investment and the expected employment creation. State lawmakers have also suggested, pending approval, $19 million in site development enhancements for the development site.
Additionally, the state said that it will support Lego's job creation efforts through a VEDP workforce project developed in collaboration with the state's community college system and other higher education institutions.
In addition, the governor's office and the General Assembly have offered unknown cash for recruitment initiatives.
