Lego (Billund / Denmark; www.lego.com) achieved a sharp rise in profits and sales for the first six months of the year, with improvements across nearly all product lines. The plastic toymaker said pretax profits soared 64% to DKK 927m (EUR 124m), compared with DKK 564m a year earlier. Revenues increased 23% to DKK 4.37 bn.

The classic product lines remained the bestsellers, Lego said, and sales of the new “Power Miners” range were well ahead of expectations. Sales in North America and central and eastern Europe were particularly strong, it added. Lego achieved the strong growth despite a decline in the global toy market. The toymaker noted, however, that while English-speaking markets reported a decline, most European markets grew.

The company said it was confident that the growth would continue, although this will depend on the run-up to Christmas. Chief executive Jorgen Vig Knudstorp said: “The first half of 2009 produced a very satisfactory result. As the bulk of toy sales occur during the last few months of the year, considerable uncertainty remains about the full year result. But based on the fine results achieved in the first half of the year, we are optimistic with regard to prospects for the remainder of 2009.”

In the light of recent years’ growth in sales and expectations of sustained growth in the years ahead, Lego will make a number of investments in 2009 to increase its capacity. Steps were taken during the first half of the year to expand moulding capacity. New injection moulding machines were installed in Denmark, Hungary and Mexico. In addition, construction of a new warehouse facility at the Kladno production plant in the Czech Republic began in June this year.