Lego selects JV for $1B Virginia facility
Gray Construction and Hourigan will deliver the toy company’s new U.S. project, seeking a production date of 2027.
Leaders from the Lego Group, Gray Construction and Hourigan pose at the future manufacturing facility’s jobsite near Richmond, Virginia. Courtesy of The Lego Group
The art of building and how things work is fascinating. But beyond simply enjoying the act of building, Lego’s mission is also fascinating—to “inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow”—which can also describe an approach to business. There’s actually quite a lot we can learn from Lego.
1. Every piece matters.
For example, the Death Star, a 4,016-piece set of the Star Wars space station. Every Lego block, down to the 4,016th piece, was necessary to build the finished piece—each one serving a specific purpose and function.
2. Slow down to speed up.
While it sounds counterintuitive, slowing down can be the best—and fastest—way to succeed. Building a Lego set, it can be tempting to try to finish it as fast as possible. But it’s usually when rushing that mistakes can be made. That mistake can compound over time, and when you finally realize something has gone awry, there’s a lot of rework on my hands.
3. The journey is more important than the destination.
Whether building a Lego set or a business, guaranteed is one thing at the outset: the journey will almost always be longer and more challenging than originally anticipated. But as with most valuable experiences in life, it’s about what we learned and how we grew in the process. The key is to make sure that all the valuable lessons aren’t lost along the way, which is why it’s important to take time after any project or experience to reflect on what went well and where there’s room for improvement.
The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. In 2012, it was reported that the Lego Group had become the world’s most valuable toy company ahead of Mattel with a value of over US$14.6 billion. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932.
The Lego Group has put more pieces together, hiring a joint venture to build its $1 billion manufacturing facility near Richmond, Virginia, the company announced Thursday.
Lexington, Kentucky-based Gray Construction and Richmond-based Hourigan have formed a JV to serve as general contractor on the project, and will begin with managing deep foundation and site preparation. Lego first broke ground on the project in the spring of 2023, and since then work has included site readiness and continued design work.
The companies did not disclose the JV’s portion of the contract value on the overall, $1 billion megaproject.
Lego expects the construction of actual factory buildings to begin later this year, and for full production to begin in 2027, about a year later than originally planned.
The JV will build 13 buildings, totaling 1.7 million square feet across 340 acres. The project will also seek WELL and LEED-Platinum certification and employ up to 40,000 ground and 13,000 rooftop solar panels, according to the release.
This article was originally written by Zachary Phillips and appeared here.
Comment (0)