Lego’s New Venture: Building a Brick‑Boutique in Vietnam
In a move that’ll surely make both kids and adults grin from ear to ear, Lego announced its plans to roll out a brand‑new factory in Vietnam. The Danish toy giant says the construction budget will top a whopping US$1 billion (about S$1.36 billion), marking the first time it’s looking beyond China for fresh production capacity.
Why Vietnam? A Blend of Boom and Climate Cheer
- Vietnam’s rapidly expanding middle class and high birth rates mean more families swearing siam at the idea of a Lego adventure.
- Plus, the factory will run on solar power harvested from rooftop panels and a nearby farm, becoming Lego’s first carbon‑neutral plant.
- Lego plans to replace its oil‑based plastic bricks with sustainable alternatives by the decade’s end.
Speed, Scale, and a Smidge of Sass
Carsten Rasmussen, Lego’s COO says the move is all about keeping up with the demand curve that’s been dropping the Belgian chocolate more quickly than a kid can shout “Take my turn!” He added, “We’re talking about a market that’s still brimming with possibility, unlike the more mature European and North American scenes.”
The new plant, slated to kick off production in 2024, will employ up to 4,000 people, according to Rasmussen. This addition is expected to brighten Lego’s annual output, which already sits comfortably around 100 billion bricks.
Strategic Growth Across the Globe
Beyond Vietnam, Lego is also pushing out the factory muscle in Mexico, Hungary, and China, and upgrading machinery in its Danish and Czech locations. Every new piece of equipment brings them closer to where the markets live and breathe.
So brace yourselves, the next time you’re building a spaceship or a castle, and remember that the bricks behind the scenes are coming from a plant that runs on sunshine and urgency. Lego’s mission: play well — quite literally.
