lego factory czech republic tour

Where Are LEGO Factories Located? (With Video Tour!)

The LEGO Group, a Danish toy manufacturer, is best known for its colorful plastic building blocks. But did you know LEGO factories are not just located in Denmark but can be found worldwide? If not, this blog post is for you! We will explore the locations of all of the LEGO factories in the world.

The LEGO Group currently has five factories worldwide and two more that are planned to be opened in the near future. The factories are located in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Mexico, and China, and two more will be opening in Vietnam and Virginia, the U.S.A. in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

The table below shows the current location of LEGO factories, the number of employees and which regions they supply.

To see a PDF of the LEGO Global Supply Chain Network  click here .

The LEGO Group has numerous offices, design centers, and warehouses worldwide. The primary Design Center is located in Billund, Denmark, where a team of over 100 designers works on new LEGO products. There are also LEGO Design Centers in Enfield (United States), Kladno (Czech Republic), Nyíregyháza (Hungary), and Shanghai (China). These Design Centers work closely with the factories to bring new LEGO products to life!

Table of Contents

The LEGO Factories

Below is a brief description of the seven LEGO factories.

The LEGO Factory In Billund, Denmark

The Billund factory is the first LEGO factory and focuses on the more challenging production of LEGO Technic and LEGO Bionicle elements.

The LEGO Factory In The Czech Republic

The Czech Republic factory was opened in 2000 with only 80 employees. Fast forward to today and they have approximately 4, 500 employees, largely due to the expansion announced in 2013 and completed in 2015. The LEGO Group has estimated that the size of the production area is similar to the size of 22 soccer fields.

The Kladno factory is responsible for the packing, decoration, and assembly of LEGO elements. They also research new technologies that help with these processes. Another part of the factory deals with model production for LEGOLAND Parks and Stores worldwide.

The LEGO Factory In Hungary

The factory in Hungary opened in 2006 with the production of LEGO DUPLO bricks. The LEGO Group built a new factory in 2012 close to the original one. LEGO System and LEGO DUPLO products are manufactured there. An important consideration for the LEGO Group was to focus on a more environmentally friendly factory with electric cars, cycle paths and an artificial lake for recycling water.

The LEGO Factory In China

The LEGO factory in Jiaxing, China was opened in 2016. On January 4, 2022, the LEGO Group announced that they would expand production capacity and invest in new equipment in the Jiaxing factory. This will help keep up with the growing demand for LEGO play experiences in China and Asia.

The expansion will add 42,000 square meters and include a new automated high bay warehouse, molding facility and building for processing LEGO elements.

In December 2021, the LEGO Group celebrated opening its 300th LEGO store in Haining near Jiaxing city.

If you want to read more about the LEGO factory in China, I wrote an article entitled “Are LEGO Sets Made In China (The Truth!)”.

The LEGO Factory In Mexico

The LEGO Group outsourced LEGO production in Mexico to Flextronics in 2006. Due to production and distribution problems, the LEGO Group insourced production and moved from the Flextronics factory to a new factory in Monterrey. The factory is expanded within two years and two molding facilities are built which house a total of 768 molding machines.

Again, the LEGO Group is concerned with Environmental factors and rainwater is collected in large tanks to be recycled in the cooling system of the factory. Yet another expansion is announced in 2015, including molding, processing, packaging, and warehousing.

The New LEGO Factory In Vietnam

The LEGO Group’s sixth factory will be located in the Binh Duong Province in Vietnam and will be the first carbon-neutral run factory. The factory will contain solar panels on the roof and will contain solar parks, creating enough renewable energy to fully match the factory’s annual energy requirements. The factory will also use electric vehicles and be supplied with energy-efficient production equipment.

The LEGO Group will also plant 50,000 trees in Vietnam to replace all the trees removed for the construction of the factory. The new factory operates and produces the high-quality product that is created in all the other factories of the LEGO Group. Local employees will receive the same high-level training as all the other LEGO factories worldwide to create the same high-quality product for which the LEGO brand is known. This will ensure that each brick made at this factory will meet the accuracy of 1/10th of a hair width so it will exactly with bricks and other elements made since 1932.

The New LEGO Factory In Virginia, U.S.A.

The LEGO Group’s new and seventh factory is estimated to open and begin production in the second half of 2025. The LEGO Group is investing US $1 billion to build a 1.7 million square foot (160,000 square meters) in Chesterfield County, Virginia, located just south of Richmond.

The carbon-neutral facility will have an onsite solar park that will match 100 percent of the daily energy needs. The plant will bring an estimated 1,760 jobs to Virginia.

There are already approximately 2,600 people that work for the LEGO Group in the U.S. in its head office in Enfield, CT and across over 100 branded stores across the country.

Is There A LEGO Factory In Canada?

There are no LEGO factories currently located in Canada.  The factories in Virginia and Mexico provide LEGO for the Canadian market.  But who knows? This may all change in the future as LEGO keeps expanding.

Where Do LEGO Parts Ship From?

The LEGO factory is located in Billund, Denmark. Every year, millions of LEGO bricks are shipped from the LEGO factory to LEGO fans worldwide.

Where Is The Biggest LEGO Factory Located?

The biggest LEGO factory is located in the Czech Republic. It covers an area of 140,000 square meters and employs over 4,500 people. In terms of production, the LEGO factory in the Czech Republic is the largest in the world.

Final Thoughts

The LEGO Group has factories all around the world in order to be closer to its market and to have a smaller ecological footprint. The locations of these factories are in Denmark, the Czech Republic, China, Hungary, Mexico and soon-to-be in Vietnam and the United States. Each factory is designed with sustainability in mind, from the solar panels on the rooftop to the electric vehicles used for transportation.

The company takes pride in ensuring that each brick made at their factories meets the accuracy of 1/10th of a hair width so it will exactly with bricks and other elements made since 1932. This allows LEGO fans worldwide to know they’re getting a quality product no matter where they purchase it.

Recent Posts

Is LEGO Owned By Disney?

In the realm of entertainment and toys, two brands reign supreme: Disney, the multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate, and LEGO, the world-renowned toy company. Both have been part of...

The LEGO Group's Near Bankruptcy: Struggle And Triumph

Introduction Have you ever wondered, “Did the LEGO Group nearly go bankrupt?” It might surprise you to learn that this beloved toy brand once stood on the brink of financial...

LEGO ® Inside Tour

The ultimate 3-day lego ® fan experience.

LEGO ® House, 'Home of the Brick' takes you on three unforgettable days that let you experience the LEGO Group from the inside and give you access to several places that are normally inaccessible. See LEGO bricks of all shapes and colours being produced on an exclusive guided tour through the Billund factory and visit the home of Ole Kirk Kristiansen, the LEGO founder, where it all started. Enjoy a build session with LEGO designers and immerse yourself in our internal unique museum on a guided tour. Get a special shopping experience and when it’s time to say goodbye, we will treat you with a unique and exclusive LEGO set.

Duration: 3 full days

The LEGO Inside Tour will take place on eight dates in 2024: 17-19 April / 22-24 May / 29-31 May / 19-21 June / 11-13 September / 2-4 October / 9-11 October / 30 October - 1 November

Sign-up:  The sign-up for the LEGO Inside Tour 2024 is closed. The sign-up period was from October 16 at 10.00 am CET until 19 October at 10.00 am CET, 2023. 

Follow this page for more information and registration for the LEGO Inside Tour 2025.

What can you expect?

Three days you will never forget.

The story of the LEGO brick began in Billund, so of course this is where LEGO House welcomes you on the LEGO adventure of a lifetime. Starting from the fantastic building that we call 'Home of the Brick', the LEGO Inside Tour gives you the ultimate, immersive tour of LEGO culture and history. Three action-packed days filled with LEGO magic and play from sunup to sundown. An unforgettable, guided fan experience through our headquarter, history, production, design process and of course LEGO House, will allow you to literally step into the ultimate LEGO experience.

• No LEGO Inside Tour would be complete without a visit to our founder’s home. Take in the atmosphere of Ole Kirk Kristiansen’s house, in the rooms where toy history was made more than 90 years ago. You even get to experience the exceptional collection of LEGO sets and models dating all the way back to the early days of the company in our secret museum.
• See LEGO bricks of all shapes and colours being produced as we show you around on a guided tour of our factory.
• Get loads of inspiration and learn new techniques as you enjoy a unique building experience together with our LEGO designers, while they introduce you to their work and let you in on how play is an integrated part of working at the LEGO Group.
• All of this will certainly spark your own desire to be creative, which is why the LEGO Inside Tour naturally includes a unique shopping experience.
• Wrap it all up with an exclusive Playful Tour in the LEGO House with plenty of time for play and immersion in the many possibilities of the house.
• As something completely unique, we have prepared a special gift for each guest: a unique and exclusive LEGO set produced in a very little amount. 

Terms and conditions

• The price per person for taking part in LEGO Inside Tour is 22,000 DKK​.
• The tour includes three overnight stays from Tuesday through Friday at Hotel LEGOLAND ® including breakfast on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. All meals, beverages, and snacks are included while visiting us.
• The LEGO Inside Tour also includes a full-year free pass to LEGO House and access to LEGOLAND Billund during the tour.
• All communication on the LEGO Inside Tour will be in English as the tour has participants from all over the world.
• You must be at least 12 years old to participate. Guests between 12 and 17 years old must be accompanied by an adult participant.
• We reserve the right to distribute slots for the LEGO Inside Tour but will consider your preferences for dates.
• Travel costs to and from Billund and additional overnight stays are not included.
• Participants are responsible for travel arrangements that are not part of the LEGO Inside Tour – please find more information below.

How to sign up

You register for the LEGO Inside Tour here on this page. Once registration is open, a link will be available at the top of the page that will take you to an online registration form. Sign up must take place within a limited period as defined on the form. We will only consider sign up forms from an adult (18 years old or more) that are complete with all relevant information in English. Signing up for LEGO Inside Tour does not automatically register you for a tour, as the demand is high, and therefore unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate all registrations.

If you would like to take part in the tour together with family members or others, you must sign up together. You can include up to five people on the sign-up form. If you are signing up on behalf of someone else, complete the form with the information of the person who wants to sign-up. You may replace their email address and telephone number with your own if you want the communication to go through you.

Transportation

Participants are responsible for arranging travel to and from Hotel LEGOLAND, Billund. Billund has an international airport ( www.billundlufthavn.dk ) and Hotel LEGOLAND is only a few minutes away by car. There is easy access to taxis from the airport. You can also take public transport from Copenhagen and create a travel plan via the Danish Railway: www.dsb.dk .

Explore other areas

LEGO Fan Tour

Would you like to spend a day behind the scenes in one of the most exciting LEGO Group locations? Join us on an exclusive one-day tour.

LEGO House Brick Tour

Get the ultimate LEGO House experience in a small group with your own tour guide.

Upcoming events

See upcoming activities and events in LEGO House, and find just the event that suits you best.

Czech Repubrick

Lego land for children and adults.

Thanks to lego we push the boundaries of the impossible. We learn patience, cooperation and awaken often extinct creativity.  We run our own Lego exhibitions with sophisticated models and through our e-shop and stores we also deliver LEGO to your home. We create fun programs for children and adults, and last but not least, we give new life to bricks that no one plays with anymore.

Lego is our entertainment, building block and endless inspiration. Czech Repubrick is our lego country in which adults become children again and children learn the determination of adults. Come in and play with us.

(Dospělí)

290 Kč na místě

Dítě (do 15), Student (do 26), Senior (65+), ZTP

220 Kč na místě

Děti do 100 cm

vstup zdarma

Školy – žák

Na 15 žáků jeden učitelský doprovod zdarma

Zboží bylo vloženo do košíku

Prosím čekejte…

Špindlerův Mlýn

Hatě u znojma.

• Napsali o nás
• Pro školy, školky a zájmové skupiny

Ve dnech 5. a 6. 7. máme otevřeno dle běžné otevírací doby.

We will be open as usual on July 5th and 6th.

Museum of Bricks

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

Subscribe for updates

Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

Email Address

• LEGO Minifig Scanner
• LEGO Reviews
• 2024 LEGO Sets
• 2023 Advent Calendars

First look at the 2024 LEGO Inside Tour Set 4000042 The Vault Memory Lane!

The 2024 LEGO Inside Tour Set has now been unveiled, as participants of this year’s Inside Tours are now free to share photos of it, and I’m pleased to give you an exclusive look at 4000042 The Vault Memory Lane!

One of my readers, @alexandthebricks was incredibly kind enough to share photos of his set, of which there are only 50 copies of!

The LEGO Inside Tour is one of the most exclusive fan experiences, which takes you on three unforgettable days that let you experience the LEGO Group from the inside and give you access to several places that are normally inaccessible.

See LEGO bricks of all shapes and colors being produced on an exclusive guided tour through the Billund factory and visit the  home of Ole Kirk Kristiansen , the LEGO founder, where it all started. Enjoy a build session with LEGO designers and immerse yourself in our internal unique museum on a guided tour. Get a special shopping experience and when it’s time to say goodbye, we will treat you with a unique and exclusive LEGO set.

This year’s set is going to be highly in demand as it’s a diorama of one of the most sacred places in all of Billund, the LEGO Vault which contains one of every LEGO set ever made!

Fun fact, there are actually several vaults scattered across Billund and Denmark, but this is the public one that lucky visitors get to visit. I haven’t had the chance to visit this one personally, but I hope to one day!

The Vault depicted here is the one that’s situated in the LEGO Idea House – I was incredibly lucky to get to visit last year, but only got to check out the Museum Section , so hopefully I’ll make it to the real vault soon!

This year’s LEGO Inside Tour Model was finished by Design Master Henrik Andersen, with the concept model produced by LEGO House Master Model Builder Stuart Harris.

The Vault Set features plenty of mini LEGO sets in the shelves, with many notable sets, which I’ve been told are all stickers.

The LEGO sets which are part of the model have been carefully selected to represent some of the most iconic sets and product lines throughout LEGO history. You will find sets representing LEGO City, LEGO Technic, LEGO Friends, LEGO Fabuland, LEGO MINDSTORMS and so on.

And then there are the items specifically selected by Henrik Andersen to give this set that special, personal touch. These include sets Henrik was gifted as a child, some that he has designed during his many years working as a LEGO designer and, finally, a set which was chosen as a tribute to a late LEGO designer colleague.

The tribute to Jørn Thomsen , an absolutely legendary LEGO Designer who passed away last year is especially touching.

There’s also a green LEGO 3D-printed duck in the display shelves, which is a new colour variant of the red version which was handed out to select participants at AFOL Day 2023 at the LEGO House.

As a LEGO History tragic.. this is such an incredibly cool set. I’ve always admired LEGO Inside Tour sets from afar, but as I’ve never gone on one yet, I’ve never really pursued one, but as a fan of what The LEGO Vault stands for… I think I’ll need to start saving up the thousands of dollars it’ll require to buy one off the secondary market, if one is lucky to surface.

Alex had this to say about the Inside Tour experience:

Well the LIT was truly a wonderful experience, I can only recommend to anyone that can attend to go there! It’s the unique opportunity not only to meet very diverse LEGO fan from all around the world, but also to spend time with LEGO designers and other employees who put all their passion in making you feel welcome and ensure you will maximize the three days time. What I love the most was the factory tour, I dreamt about it since i was a child so this was a big accomplishment for me to be able to see in real how Lego bricks are made – and to discover that the automated storage system for full boxes awaiting to be shipped to factories in Hungary and Czech Republic is made by a Swiss company made me proud of my country! I am really thankful to all the LEGO Inside Tour Team for the amazing experience!

Again, special thanks to @alexandthebricks for sharing the photos and his experience of the Inside Tour!

Were you lucky enough to be part of the LEGO Inside Tour 2024, or have been on one previously? Share your experience in the comments, and if you’d recommend them to other readers!

To get the latest  LEGO news  and  LEGO Reviews  straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on  Google News , or socials on  Facebook ,  Instagram  (@jayong28),  Twitter  or subscribe to the  Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel .

Subscribe to receive updates on new posts and reviews!

Site search.

Follow me on Instagram @jayong28

Follow on Facebook

Pre-orders open for the LEGO Chrysanthemum and Plum Blossom Botanicals - Jay's Brick Blog

jaysbrickblog.com

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

LEGO officially reveals 75389 The Dark Falcon and 75393 TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up from Rebuild the Galaxy - Jay's Brick Blog

LEGO 10338 Bumblebee now available to pre-order in the UK and Europe - Jay's Brick Blog

Recent Posts

• LEGO 75385 Ahsoka Tano’s Duel on Peridea and 75396 Desert Skiff and Sarlacc Pit revealed!
• Buying Guide: Every new LEGO set releasing in July 2024
• LEGO 75392 Creative Play Droid Builder lets you play dress up with your favourite Star Wars droids
• LEGO Goat and 434 new elements launching on Pick a Brick in July 2024!
• Early look at LEGO 75398 C-3PO!
• Pre-orders open for the LEGO Chrysanthemum and Plum Blossom Botanicals
• LEGO officially reveals 75389 The Dark Falcon and 75393 TIE Fighter & X-Wing Mash-up from Rebuild the Galaxy

Where are Legos Made? 2024 Overview

Ranking as the largest toy company in 2021, Lego has its headquarters in Billund, Denmark. This privately held Danish toy company has even become a part of pop culture. With that in mind, you may wonder where they make Legos.

If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating toy company, keep reading because we will have a look at Lego and all its manufacturing facilities. We will also have a look at how it all began from a humble starting point.

Legos are made in several countries, including Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, the Czech Republic, and China. The toy company doesn’t produce any of its products in the United States. The original Lego factory sits in Billund, Denmark, which was started in 1934.

Below, I’ve attached a picture of multiple lego boxes so that you can see where they are made for yourself.

After checking hundreds of Lego boxes, I determined that they all have the same marking stating where they are made. Here are a few more for you to see.

Lego’s Role in Denmark Has Changed

What started in Denmark has slowly changed roles over the years. While Denmark remains the heart of this toy empire, much of the manufacturing moved to Monterrey and elsewhere after 2004. The shift may have happened because it was more attractive to manufacture at facilities in countries with a lower cost of labor.

For example, on average, factory workers in Denmark earn $19 per hour, and at facilities in Mexico, they might make $1 per hour. Lego has over 20,000 people working for it on a worldwide scale.

They still have over 4,000 of their Lego employees working in Denmark, or an estimated 20 percent of the employees, but the roles have shifted. Many of them now work at the headquarters or in office buildings. They also have the Legoland Amusement park in Billund, Denmark, which employs 1,000 workers.

Lego Manufacturing Practices in Mexico

From Lego, Mexico has one of the largest plastic mold manufacturing operations in all of Latin America. The company has taken an ever-increasing liking to manufacturing its products in Mexico, and they provide all of the Americas with Lego blocks and toys.

At Lego’s Monterrey manufacturing plant, they employ over 3,000 workers and have over 100 molding machines. This plant alone can satisfy around 40 percent of the demand for Legos in the Americas. In fact, this factory was responsible for one-third of the company’s bricks in 2011. The other 60 percent of Legos that will serve the markets in North and South America get shipped in from Billund, Denmark, and Nyíregyháza, Hungary.

Lego has continued to expand its operations in Monterrey over the last decade, and the plans for this continue straight to 2022. In 2022, they expect to employ around 6,500 workers. They eventually plan to expand their operations to over 48,000 square meters. More specifically, this Lego plant can be found at Cienega de Flores, Nuevo Leon. They have operated this manufacturing facility on their own since 2008. It will serve the North American and South American markets.

Due to the logistics constraints of current world events and unrest, production in Mexico slowed down because they had to shut it down around April 2020 to protect their employees. Monterrey, Mexico, is a highly strategic manufacturing plant because it only sits 140 miles from the USA-Mexico border with Texas. This puts it close enough to sell to the American and Mexican markets.

Before they produced the Lego bricks at the factory in Monterrey, they were producing them in the border town of Juarez, which was the first Lego factory in Mexico. They eventually moved it farther south to Monterrey. This may have been done because of how it can be shipped to a variety of locations. Not only that, but Monterrey remains one of the best industrial developments in Mexico.

Lego rents this property under a 10-year lease, but they have the option to continue extending it.

One of the interesting things about Lego manufacturing comes from how it uses a modular setup. This modular system lets Lego expand or contract its operations as demands for its products rise or fall.

Lego Manufacturing in China

The Lego factory built in China will have the intention of serving a rapidly growing Asian market. Its factory in Jiaxing will include a 120,000 square foot facility that sits just 62 miles from Shanghai, which is where they will have a regional distribution center.

This reduces its need to transport products from Europe and Mexico. Sales for Legos in Asia have grown 50 percent each year, which shows a newly blossoming market for the brand. With the new factory in Jiaxing, they will create 2,000 new jobs, and they will meet the demands of between 70 to 80 percent of the market.

One of the advantages of companies serving the local markets with manufacturing nearby is that it helps us to fight back against climate change. We don’t need to ship the products quite as far, lowering the carbon emissions.

Like all the factories under the Lego brand, they will build it to the same standards. For example, they will use the same manufacturing standards, employee safety, and product quality that they have in all the other factories. Lego is also known for having a distinctly fun feel at its factories with much of the color and use of things that have made Lego famous.

This marked the first Asian factory from the Lego brand. They opened a factory here much later than the other factories in 2016. They have over 20,000 solar panels installed on the roof of this factory, which generates 6 gigawatts of clean energy every year.

The fast growth of sales in China has made it one of Lego’s fastest-growing markets. In 2019 alone, Lego opened over 80 new shops to serve the local markets.

Lego Goes to the Czech Republic

In Kladno, Czech Republic, Lego operates another factory where they build the side products like packaging. Keep in mind that this manufacturing plant started operating on a much smaller scale than some of its other assets.

Lego first opened this production facility in 2000, but to put the size into perspective, the facility only had 80 employees. Why did Lego choose to build such a small factory? While it didn’t start with a big-scale operation in Kladno, you would be mistaken to think of it as only minor. The reason that Lego chose to set up a factory here came from the fact that it gave them a central point of distribution in Europe.

They had good infrastructure, which made it ideal. They could serve both the western European and the eastern European markets.

The size may look small, but the factory can handle house molding, packing, and production of the Legos. Amid rising demand, they decided to expand the factory in Kladno. In phase one of the expansion, Lego added an extra 3,200 square meters to its factory.

During phase two, they added an extra 11,000 square meters to the factory to house 250 vehicles underground.

The ultimate goal behind this factory is to make sure that the company can manage the production needs and fulfill orders wherever they have them. What happened in the end at the factory in Kladno was that the company hired over 2,000 employees. This shows you how a factory can start its operations out small and grow into a bigger size with time.

Today, this factory accounts for two-thirds of the toy production in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has even been found to be producing more toys than the second biggest exporter, Germany. They overtook them in 2012. Even if you were to subtract Lego from the equation, the Czech Republic would remain the second biggest toy exporter in the EU.

Lego Production in Hungary

Hungary is another big producer of Legos, and they have two factories, one in Sárvár and one in Nyíregyháza. Both manufacturing plants opened in 2006. It started with Sárvár at the start of the year and ended with Nyíregyháza. At the factory in Nyíregyháza, they chose to expand it again as the demand for Lego continued to rise and the factory began to feel cramped.

The company began to add 122,000 square meters of space in 2012, and it finished it in 2014. In 2015, Lego decided to expand its operations again, and the company doubled its factory size in 2020. The total size, in the end, was 290,000 square meters of space.

Over €100 million were invested in the manufacturing plant in Nyíregyháza to double its size. They employ over 2,400 workers.

Lego has occasionally fallen back on production in Hungary to meet the demands of the European market. In some cases, the demand surged, and they chose to use this factory to meet the demands.

Why did Lego choose to produce in Hungary? The low cost of labor in Hungary may have played a role. On the lower end, Hungarian factory workers earn $383 per month, and on the higher end, they might earn $1,034 per month. Considering the cost of production elsewhere, this is a good way to cut costs.

Compare it to those in the Czech Republic, they earn around $1,020 per month on average. Those in the highest percentiles will earn around $16 per hour. To sum it up, they don’t get as good of a deal in the Czech Republic on manufacturing.

Who Owns Lego?

Following through with four family generations, Lego remains a private, family-owned business. It began with Ole Kirk Kristiansen, but today, the grandson, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, owns the family business. He ranks as the third richest Dane, and he has a net worth of $6.75 billion as of April 2021. Currently, he serves as chairman of the Lego foundation board. He owns 75 percent of Lego Group.

There was a period of time when The Lego Corporation decided to outsource part of its production, particularly the Lego Duplo bricks, to one of the world’s largest manufacturing service providers at the time, Flextronics. This was announced in 2005 under CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp as part of his rescue plan Shared Vision in order to deal with the economic difficulties Lego was facing. Outsourcing production to one of Flextronics’ factories in west Hungary would cut costs of production significantly.

The arrangements made to partner with Flextronics strain when the company isn’t able to meet Lego’s customer demands. The partnership is eventually ended. Bali Padda, Lego Group’s COO, says, as published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten:

“The all-important thing we learned is that one should know what the core competence of a company is. The molding of bricks is a core competency, and that we should not hand over”

A partnership to outsource production didn’t work as expected for Legos. Even though they have manufacturing facilities in different parts of the globe, The Lego Group currently remains in control of making the toys.

Has Lego Ever been Produced in the United States?

Before 2006, Lego had a factory in Enfield, Connecticut. They had 300 people at this facility, and they laid them off at the start of 2007. This was part of a bigger layoff where 900 employees in Denmark were laid off over the course of three years.

They moved the USA production down to the factory in Monterrey, Mexico, and they moved the manufacturing in Denmark over to the Czech Republic. The purpose behind this was to achieve greater financial flexibility in volatile markets.

Lego, despite its reputation as an awesome brand, has suffered more than a couple of hits over the years. For example, cheaper versions from its competitors like the brand Megabloks from Montreal have hurt them somewhat. Lego also struggled because it began to offer too many different types of products and chased after the latest fads. None of this helped the company. You can learn more about Lego and its layoffs here .

Previously, the brand also had a manufacturing facility in Switzerland, but they closed it down due to the higher costs. Switzerland is an expensive country. To put it into perspective, factory workers in Switzerland earn an average of $25 an hour. This makes it one of the higher-wage locations in Europe.

Lego History and its Manufacturing in Denmark

They don’t offer regular tours of the factories in Denmark, but you can arrange a tour as a special guest or as a group.

Let’s have a look at Lego’s history of manufacturing in Denmark. The Systemvej factory was where Lego used its first plastic injection molding machine. Soon, the company had over 40 plastic-injection machines, and they were waiting for 15 more in 1958.

In 1970, the Systemvej factory was slowly phased out, and they transferred it to Højmarksvej, which wasn’t far from the old factory. By 1971, 721 people worked at the factory, and by 1973, they had over 142 molding machines in operation.

In 1987, the molding shop at the Højmarksvej factory transferred to a new factory in Kornmarken. After this point, the Højmarksvej factory saw only semi-success. In 2008, they moved the packing facility back to Højmarksvej. Meanwhile, they leased the factory in Billund, the Ragsmarken factory, to a different company.

The Højmarksvej shut down its packing activities permanently within the country in 2015. During this time, the packing work was sent over to Hungary and the Czech Republic. From 2017 onward, they also did the packing work in China.

Denmark had other factories that closed as well over the years, which included the Kløvermarken factory, which they don’t expect will ever reopen. The Kornmarken factory soon fell into disuse, and they built a new factory next to it called the Rugmarken factory in 1994. Unfortunately, the Rugmarken factory was slowly rented out in 2006, and Lego now only has an office in Rugmarken. After 2008, the other company was fully renting it out.

In 2008, the factory at Højmarksvej transferred 350 of its employees from Rugmarken over to its packing activities. This became the new state of manufacturing at Lego, where much of the manufacturing had moved out of Denmark. Still, they produce an estimated 20 billion bricks in Billund each year.

Interested in learning more about where Legos are made? Check out this tour video of a Lego factory and vault by Sariel’s Bricks & Pets.

What Was The First Lego Set Ever Made?

The design of the oldest lego sets was trying to replicate small-town features and would come with a basic set of easy-to-follow instructions on how to build specific buildings. Lego started to sell the sets in 1955, representing a huge expansion of their business. Curious as to what these sets look like? Check out this article that covers the details of the first 10 Lego sets .

How Are Legos Made?

What started in the small shop of a carpenter is now a multinational operation of production with the highest standards of technology to supply the high demand The Lego Group gets from its customers. Interested in how a Lego brick comes to life? Check out the video below to see the creation of a Lego.

Lego’s North American Headquarters

None of this says that Lego doesn’t give Americans jobs. While the manufacturing goes to Mexico, the company does keep its North American headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut, the location where they previously had a factory. Across all of its locations, they employ 1,450 workers. This means that 7 percent of their total American workforce is located here.

Enfield, Connecticut, has served as the North American headquarters of Legos since 1996. Still, they no longer do production in Enfield.

Do We Recommend Supporting Lego?

We can’t recommend this brand on the value of it being an American-made product because Lego has never been produced on a big scale in the United States. For the nostalgia of childhood and the memories of playing with Legos as a kid, we wouldn’t say to stay away from this brand, however.

Lego has become interwoven in pop culture because it is an iconic toy brand. Along with that, Lego has always been at its heart a Danish company. Despite what it feels like, they have never been an American company, and because of that, we don’t feel like they owe us any jobs.

The point behind this, instead, is to be aware of what you’re buying and the history of the company. At the same time, you should remain aware of who your cash goes to support.

Along with these things, Lego isn’t alone as a toy company that largely produces its toys in less expensive countries. You have many others like Hasbro, Mattel, and Disney toys, which have done the same for manufacturing. Hasbro makes over half of its toys in China. Not long ago, Hasbro, Disney, and Mattel were embroiled in a scandal where their suppliers had created nightmare conditions that even used child labor.

Lego was named in the scandal as well, but their spokesperson refuted this claim by saying that they didn’t use any of those suppliers.

Does Disney Own Lego?

You may have looked this up on Google and saw how it said that Disney owns Lego. However, we would implore you to pay attention to the day that they posted it on April Fools’. At one time, when Lego was struggling back in the 1990s, Disney may have looked at the company and considered it, but the brand may be too far outside of Disney’s brand image. Disney is primarily a media company, and Lego is primarily a toy company, so it wouldn’t be a great fit.

Mattel or Hasbro would be a more-than-likely buyer of Lego if it were to happen. Today, Lego has recovered and doing well enough that if it did sell, it would cost more than what even Disney could afford.

Lego has a strong family history, and they may prefer to keep the brand within the family. It has been this way for over four generations, and they likely wouldn’t sell it unless the company fell on hard times.

Will Lego Toys from China Ever Get Shipped to the USA?

Lego likes to produce most of its products right next to its consumers to reduce its carbon imprint and lower labor costs this is a very environmentally friendly company. For that reason, the factory in China largely serves the Asian market. We have yet to see Lego importing its toys from China over to the USA, but that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t happen.

The other reason that this may not happen is that how the manufacturing in Mexico is largely responsible for the Lego toys sold to the American market. If you buy a Lego set in the United States, it most likely came from Mexico since most of the production comes from there for the USA markets.

We could see a scenario where China would make up for the extra needs of the USA, but we could as easily see the extra come from Hungary or the Czech Republic as it has in the past.

Conclusion:

Lego doesn’t have any manufacturing facilities in the United States. Still, many people have fond memories of playing with Legos as children. This would be one of the reasons that you might want to buy this brand. No matter where they manufacture the Lego products, it remains a great toy for your child’s imagination. You have other choices on the market, but Lego remains the premier choice that people go to.

In 2020, Lego made $6.99 billion, which shows the company is flourishing. They have a growing community known as Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL), which has 40,000 followers around the world.

Hi, my name is Kevin and I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Choosing products made in America is important to me because it supports local economies, creates jobs, helps the environment, and ensures ethical labor practices. I also find that American made products are usually of higher quality so although they’re a little more expensive, you save money in the long run. Before starting this website I was in the USMC infantry and nowadays I work on this website as a hobby.

2 thoughts on “Where are Legos Made? 2024 Overview”

Hey Kevin, holy cow this article was long. You’re serious about you’re Legos, but no, seriously, thank you for the information.

Hey Jeffrey, lol that’s hilarious I really do love Legos even as an adult. I collected them when I was a kid and have since passed on my collection to my nephews.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Behind the Bricks

• LEGO® Education
• Kladno Factory
• LEGO Entities
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Digital Technology
• Manufacturing
• Transformation
• Hybrid Working
• Customer Service
• Engineering

Just Imagine with Johnny and Frank

Just Imagine with Sonal 💭

Just Imagine with Pablo 💭

Just Imagine with Juliana 💭

Just Imagine with Travis 💭

The LEGO Group Ranked #1 Most Attractive Employers in Manufacturing in the Czech Republic

Factory colleagues celebrate Play Day with the owner family and COO Carsten Rasmussen