LEGO is fully supported, project is guaranteed to be completed on time

The LEGO Group's project to build a factory of more than 1 billion USD in VSIP 3 is being implemented as planned. On the construction site, the contractor is urgently working, mobilizing human resources, machinery and equipment to take advantage of favorable weather to speed up the construction progress to complete items and parts in 2023. Preben Elnef (photo), Vice President of LEGO Group and CEO of LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd., said that the company is paralleling many important processes such as legal entity, recruitment so that the factory can be put into operation in 2024.

- It is known that the factory in Binh Duong is LEGO's first carbon-neutral factory, so does its construction process have any differences or face difficulties, sir?

- The LEGO factory in Binh Duong was built on an area of 44 hectares, its size is equivalent to 62 standard football fields, the new LEGO factory is also the place to apply the most advanced technologies to mold, process, and package LEGO products. This is the first LEGO factory to be designed as a carbon-neutral facility. In addition to solar panels on the factory roof, the factory also has a solar power farm built on neighboring land, meeting the total annual energy demand. The factory also uses state-of-the-art energy-efficient production equipment and is built to meet the minimum level of LEED Gold - a global green building certification.

According to the plan, LEGO Group will use all electricity from the solar farm, with a capacity of 50Wmp, right next to the LEGO product factory. The LEGO Group and VSIP Company will work together in the construction, operation, and exploitation of the solar farm, thereby helping the LEGO Group achieve its goal of being carbon neutral with factory in Vietnam as commitments.

From planning to implementation, it took us three years to fix the site and finally chose Binh Duong. It can be said that accelerating the progress to put the factory into operation in 2024 is the biggest challenge. In fact, there were several delayed stages in the planning approval process due to changes in the Construction Law. But we are quite fortunate to receive timely support from local authorities and provincial authorities to get the best conditions and ensure the project is carried out on time.

LEGO factory was built in VSIP 3 of Binh Duong.

- LEGO Manufacturing Vietnam Co., Ltd. has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Binh Duong Customs Department, what does LEGO expect from this cooperation and how is the impact of this strategic cooperation agreement with customs on businesses? 

- LEGO does not simply build a factory in Vietnam to expand our supply chain in the region. The LEGO factory will deliver products to children across the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, import and export play a key role to ensure our products are quickly available on the market as soon as they are manufactured. The strategic partnership agreement with Binh Duong Customs is an important milestone for LEGO's activities in Vietnam in general and Binh Duong in particular. Through the strategic partnership agreement, the company wishes to receive timely guidance and direction from Binh Duong Customs to guarantee import and export activities of the company. LEGO wishes the relationship between the two sides to be more and more sustainable and effective. LEGO is committed to complying with all legal regulations, especially customs procedures.

- According to the LEGO plan to go into operation in the third quarter of 2024, how has the company prepared to be able to put the factory into operation next year? What is LEGO's biggest expectation when the factory in Binh Duong comes into operation in 2024, sir?

- The company has made important preparations to be able to put the factory into operation in August 2024. Regarding construction, the company has taken initial steps to prepare for official construction activities as soon as the construction permit is received. Regarding human resources, the company has chosen a location to establish a human resource recruitment center in Binh Duong and will soon start recruiting this year. We hope to be able to attract a skilled workforce and develop the brand locally. We aim to create 4,000 jobs for locals over the next 15 years. In addition, we want to be able to get the factory up and running as soon as possible so that we can bring more LEGO products to the next generation of children.

2023 will be an important year because we need to prepare everything before the plant comes into operation in 2024. We will conduct the recruitment of office blocks and prepare for the operation of the factory in the third and fourth quarters of 2023. The first half of 2024 will be devoted to recruiting workers for the factory.

- Thank you, Sir!

In March 2022, LEGO Group was officially licensed to develop a factory project in Binh Duong with an investment value of more than 1 billion USD. The factory was built on an area of 44 hectares in VSIP 3. This is the sixth factory of the LEGO Group globally, the second in Asia and the largest investment project of LEGO ever. LEGO factory in Vietnam is the project with the largest investment capital by a Danish enterprise in Vietnam and this is also the project with the largest investment capital in Binh Duong.

Reported by Ngoc Thanh – Translated by Ngoc Huynh