Lego expanding its Enfield footprint

Danish toy maker Lego, whose U.S. operations in Enfield date to the 1970s, said Tuesday it will expand its Connecticut presence in the coming year by adding 80,000 square feet of offices and adding jobs at the Enfield Business Park.

Construction on the new space will begin in the coming weeks, with an anticipated occupancy of March 2011, the company said.

Lego said the expansion will accommodate several departments, including direct-to-consumer retail operations, finance, consumer services, facilities management, information technology, and human resources.

Company officials said Lego has "very strong momentum," and is in a position to hire. Lego did not immediately respond to a phone call Tuesday to elaborate on its staffing plans.

"This Enfield site has been the Lego Systems home for 35 years, and we are very happy to be able to assume incremental space to meet the needs of our company growth here at our long-time home," said Michael McNally, Lego's brand relations director. "We have developed a good working relationship with the town, and the location continues to be very convenient for our employees, who come from both Connecticut and Massachusetts."

A few years ago, Lego moved its Enfield manufacturing and warehouse operations to its home base in Billund, Denmark.