CHESTERFIELD — Have you heard about LEGO Group planting 1,440 trees across numerous Chesterfield County parks? The project is part of the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental impact in the local region where it is building a more than $1 billion manufacturing site in Meadowville Technology Park. In 2027, it is scheduled to open at 1400 Meadowville Road in Chester. An expert team of landscape architects and nursery professionals hand-selected 17 species of trees native to the region. The Parkland Reforestation Project is LEGO Group’s initiative to help revitalize parks across the county.

“We are proud to partner with Chesterfield County to revitalize green spaces across the county,” Preben Elnef, vice president and program lead at the LEGO Group, said. “This project marks another important step in our continued investment in Virginia as we build a state-of-the-art manufacturing site that will bring LEGO play to millions of kids in the future and support learning through play opportunities in the community.”

“The LEGO Group is demonstrating its commitment to a more sustainable future while setting new standards for corporate responsibility at the local level,” James M. “Jim” Holland, Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors Chairman, said. “We are thrilled to have such a strong corporate partner that shares in our mission to achieve lasting, positive impacts in the community.”

LEGO Group: Parkland Reforestation Project celebration

On April 24, LEGO Group joined Chesterfield County officials at a tree-planting event held at Rockwood Park to celebrate trees being planted at the following parks:

• Ettrick Park, Chesterfield

• Ettrick Village Park, Chesterfield

• Goyne Park, Chester

• Horner Park, Moseley

• Huguenot Park, Bon Air

• Matoaca Park, Matoaca

• Rockwood Park, Chesterfield

• R. Garland Dodd Park, Chester

Employees of the LEGO Group, community partners, Chesterfield County Administrator Dr. Joseph Casey, Holland and other government and economic development officials attended the event.

LEGO Group: Virginia investment

Upon completion, the LEGO Group’s investment in Virginia will span more than 1.7 million sq. ft., including office spaces, molding, processing, packing buildings and a warehouse. The new facility aims to reduce emissions from electricity and fuel use (scope 1 and 2) using on-site or off-site renewable energy. The site is designed to minimize energy use, in line with the company’s overall sustainability ambitions of reducing absolute global carbon emissions by 37% by 2032, as noted in the LEGO Group’s 2023 Sustainability Progress Report.

The company aims to achieve zero waste from factories to landfill, a shared ambition across the LEGO Group’s global operations. Once the Virginia facility is completed, they will secure internationally recognized WELL and LEED certifications which promote healthy, efficient and green building practices.

LEGO Group: Play-based programs for children, families

The tree planting ceremony at Rockwood Park marked the latest milestone in the LEGO Group’s ongoing community support for the region. In November 2023, the company announced $1 million in grant funding to six local, nonprofit organizations that serve children and families. Earlier grants of $300,000 were gifted to support play-based programming at the Children’s Museum of Richmond and the Science Museum of Virginia. LEGO Group is on a mission to make children heard and use their ideas and visions to inspire leaders around the world.

CHESTER: LEGO Group factory buildings

Progress on the reforestation project builds on the recent announcement of Elnef as the permanent program lead at the Virginia site and Gray|Hourigan, a joint venture between industry leader Gray and Richmond-based Hourigan, as the general contractor. The LEGO Group expects construction of the factory buildings to begin later this year and full production to commence in 2027.

Last November, the company opened its external packing facility at 1600 Ruffin Mill Road in Chesterfield where it employs approximately 250 people. The company plans to add over 1,760 jobs as part of its investment in Virginia. View job openings at legocareersvirginia.com.

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Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.

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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Chesterfield: LEGO Group plants 1,440 trees to revitalize green spaces