Danish toy manufacturer Lego (Billund; www.lego.com) on 19 June officially inaugurated the expansion of its factory in Ciénega de Flores, Nuevo Leon / Mexico. The upgraded site is expected to be fully operational by September this year, creating about 1,000 new jobs. The USD 300m investment included a new high rack warehouse – see also Plasteurope.com of 21.03.2013.

Lego said the 48,000 m² expansion of the site would allow it to not only increase production capacity, but to improve its ability to serve the North and South American markets “even better in the future”. Lego Operations vice president Jens Peter Clausen said, “The significant investment sends a strong signal that Ciénega de Flores and Nuevo Leon is a long-term manufacturing base for the Lego Group along with our other Lego factories around the world.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the Danish toy manufacturer in late May inaugurated a new main office in Shanghai / China, which will cater to rising Asian demand for its products. The office will oversee Lego’s marketing, HR, IT and financial operations in the country and is to be complemented by a new production facility in nearby Jiaxing, due to start up in 2017. The decision to strengthen its business in Asia – Lego already operates a key regional office in Singapore – is set against the backdrop of a more than 50% rise in company sales in China in 2013 (for details on Lego’s financial performance last year, see Plasteurope.com of 04.03.2014).