The biggest Lego building project in Boston snapped in its final piece Thursday morning as the company opened the doors to their new Americas headquarters at 1001 Boylston St.
The Denmark-based company has established its base on the continent in Enfield, Connecticut since 1975, when it opened its first U.S. office and factory with 24 employees, Lego Chief Commercial Officer Colette Burke said Thursday morning.
“We’ve grown our Americas team to more than 3,500 colleagues, we operate 150 Lego-branded stores across the Americas, and we nurture strong partnerships with numerous retailers across the region,” said Burke. “More importantly, we’ve continued to increase the number of children we engage through Lego play throughout the years. You can imagine our enthusiasm for what the next chapter here in Boston will help us to achieve.”
The move to the new Boston headquarters location, which sits at the intersection of Boylston Street, Massachusetts Avenue and Newbury Street, was announced in January 2023. The gradual transition is scheduled to be completed with the Enfield office’s closure in 2026.
Over 800 employees are expected to be employed within the brightly colored 6-story, 157,000 square feet location in the Lyrik building. The company employs 31,000 people globally, with other international hubs in Copenhagen, Singapore, Shanghai and London.
Lego leadership and staff, along with Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and the Danish Ambassador to the U.S. Jesper Møller Sørensen, gathered for the opening Thursday morning.
“At a time when we’re concerned about devices and the impact of devices on our young people, LEGO sets this incredible opportunity to offer our children gifts of imagination and also agency,” said Healey. “That makes it a perfect fit for Massachusetts, because we are the top ranked state in America for education and innovation. So it’s a perfect synergy that we have here.”
Healey touted the move as “more proof that our dynamic business ecosystem attracts global companies that lead in their fields” and noted the state’s top rankings in terms of the most educated workforce, raising a family, safety, environmental friendliness and more.
The company also announced a $5 million philanthropic commitment over two years to “increase access to play across the city” Thursday. The commitment includes a partnership with the Boston Public Library on “playful learning experiences” in 26 locations and a parenting resources pilot program for families with newborns.
The funds will also go toward expanding existing recent partnerships with the Boston Children’s Museum, established in 2021, and the Museum of Science, established in 2023.
“As we establish ourselves in Boston, we look forward to building our team and building on the Lego brand’s legacy here locally in the U.S. market and across the Americas region,” said Skip Kodak, president of the LEGO Group in the Americas. “We encourage potential team members who might hear something about today to learn more about us and begin building their careers at the LEGO Group too. Visit lego.com/careers and follow us on LinkedIn for more news.”
Originally Published: