The LEGO Group celebrates parkland reforestation project near its Virginia, USA, site in ceremony with local officials

• Company funded the planting of 1,440 trees, helping to revitalize eight parks across Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA.
• County-wide tree planting effort demonstrates company’s continued momentum at its Virginia site and commitment to help reduce its environmental impact in the local area.
• Preben Elnef joined county officials and guests for remarks and ceremonial tree planting.

VIRGINIA, USA, April 24, 2024: Today, the LEGO Group joined Chesterfield County officials at Rockwood Park to celebrate the planting of more than 1,440 trees across eight county parks. The tree-planting event was attended by government and economic development officials, including Dr. Joseph Casey, Chesterfield County Administrator, and James Holland, Chesterfield Board of Supervisors Chair, as well as community partners and employees of the LEGO Group.

The reforestation project is helping to revitalize parks across the county by planting 17 species of trees native to the region, all hand-selected by an expert team of landscape architects and nursery professionals. This project is part of the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental impact in the local region where it is building a more than US $1 billion manufacturing site, scheduled to open in 2027.

The reforestation program made possible by the LEGO Group spans eight parks in Chesterfield County.

Preben Elnef, Vice President and Program Lead at the LEGO Group said: “We are proud to partner with Chesterfield County to revitalize green spaces across the county, and to uphold our commitment to reduce our environmental impact in the local area. This project marks another important step in our continued investment in Virginia as we build a state-of-the-art manufacturing site that will bring LEGO® play to millions of kids in the future and support learning through play opportunities in the community.”

James M. “Jim” Holland, Chair, Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors said: “The LEGO Group is demonstrating its commitment to a more sustainable future while setting new standards for corporate responsibility at the local level. We are thrilled to have such a strong corporate partner that shares in our mission to achieve lasting, positive impacts in the community.”

The LEGO Group’s Preben Elnef and James M. “Jim” Holland, Chair, Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors, plant a tree in Rockwood Park as a ceremonial marker of the public-private reforestation program.

Local operations designed for sustainability
When completed, the LEGO Group’s investment in Virginia will span more than 1.7 million sq. ft., including office spaces, molding, processing, packing buildings, and a warehouse. The new facility aims to reduce emissions from electricity and fuel use (scope 1 and 2) using on-site or off-site renewable energy. The site is designed to minimize energy use, in line with the company’s overall sustainability ambitions of reducing absolute global carbon emissions by 37% by 2032* as noted in the LEGO Group’s 2023 Sustainability Progress Report.

The company aims to achieve zero waste from factories to landfill, a shared ambition across the LEGO Group’s global operations, and secure WELL and LEED certification for the Virginia facility once completed.

Community support through play-based programming for children and families
Today’s tree planting ceremony marks the latest milestone in the LEGO Group’s ongoing community support for the region. In November 2023, the company announced $1 million in grant funding to six local nonprofit organizations that serve children and families, building on earlier grants of $300,000 to support play-based programming at the Children's Museum of Richmond and the Science Museum of Virginia.

Continued progress on site, adding to team at external packing facility
Progress on the reforestation project also builds on the recent announcement of Preben Elnef as the permanent program lead at the Virginia USA site and Gray|Hourigan as the general contractor. The LEGO Group expects construction of the factory buildings to begin later this year and full production to commence in 2027.

In November 2023, the company opened its external packing facility, where it employs approximately 250 people. View job openings at legocareersvirginia.com.

The LEGO Group will add over 1,760 jobs as part of its investment in Virginia.

Program overview