Found something interesting Lego.

[lightningtiger]

In my searching for any new set news I discovered this.......

Global toy maker Lego group plans to expand the production capacity at its manufacturing complex at Kladno in the Czech Republic.

As part of the strategy to grow its presence in the vibrant markets of Eastern Europe, Lego of Billund, Denmark, plans to create over 1,000 jobs when it adds additional buildings, including four new production halls, at the site.

The Central Bohemian regional authority recently gave the expansion scheme the green light following an environmental impact assessment. Lego intends to add a total built up area of 46,230m2, which will also allow for administrative offices, a manipulation hall, warehouse and other storage space.

Construction of the new plant is due to start by June this year. Manufacturing at the expanded plant will employ 600, while another 490 will work in the administration area when the unit begins operating in the third quarter of 2013.

Work at the Kladno site, which has manufactured the Lego Systems building brick products, was formerly outsourced by Lego to Flextronics, the global electronics manufacturing services group of Singapore. But, two years later in March 2008, the Danish toymaker took back direct control for production at Kladno as part of a strategy aimed at taking back its manufacturing in-house.

That process was completed overall in 2009 and Lego now manufactures its own products in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary and in Mexico. In that year, the group saw major sales growth in almost all its markets and a 22.4% rise in annual revenues.

Based on its success and on forecast continued growth for the company in coming years, Lego launched a programme of significant capacity increases. New moulding equipment was introduced at its plants in Hungary, Denmark and Mexico. At Kladno, work was completed last year on the construction of a new warehouse building.

Lego’s other Eastern European plant is located in Nyíregyháza, Hungary.

This was published on the 26th....just yesterday on the PRW.com website.

Note - no talk of China at all, but eastern Europe instead,

Brick On Everyone !

[Masked Builder]

Sweet! No more Chinese brick plants! Looks like some people in Europe will be getting some jobs too.

[Fugazi]

Interesting article Lightningtiger, thank you!

I don't believe we can jump to conclusions here. It's true that the Chinese plants aren't mentioned in the article, but they don't say anything about closing them or moving production from China to the Czech Republic either.

Besides, the statement "Lego now manufactures its own products in Denmark, the Czech Republic, Hungary and in Mexico" is probably only meant to imply that the other (Chinese) plant(s) do not actually belong to Lego.

So I think this is more about TLG expanding its Czech facilities, which is good news anyway I think, rather than ceasing production in China altogether.

[Brickdoctor]

I'm with Fugazi here. There's also the part about increased demand for LEGO, implying that these new halls sre to increase the amount of sets produced, not introduce new sets or produce different sets.

[Stank]

I am with Brickdoctor while he's with Fugazi. Nice to hear that in the Czech Republic TLC expands the plant, but that can only lead to decreasing the usage of plant(s) in China. Since there are no news on the plant(s) from China no new plants are opening or closing there.