A Massachusetts state senator said the toy maker LEGO moving its headquarters, and more than 700 jobs, from Enfield, Connecticut, to Boston will have a negative impact on his district.
On Tuesday LEGO announced the move, scheduled for 2026. Its headquarters are just a few miles from the state line. State Sen. Jake Oliveira, D-Ludlow represents some towns just to the north in Massachusetts. He said bad economic news in one state affects the other.
"That relationship between Massachusetts and northern Connecticut is so strong for our economy that any impact to take jobs away from northern Connecticut and move them to the Boston area has a severe impact on the residents of our region,” he said.
Oliveira said LEGO’S move has been a “wake-up call” for some lawmakers, who he said did not realize just how intertwined the two states economies are along the state line.
"I've had many of my colleagues from the eastern part of the state reach out to me and say, 'We didn't realize that Enfield, Connecticut, was so close to the Massachusetts border. We thought it was in Fairfield County.'"
Oliveira went on to say this is also a quality of life issue for many Lego workers, some of whom he’s heard from. Those employees living in western Massachusetts are in a tough position, as they'll have to move to the more-expensive Boston area in order to keep their jobs. The company is paying relocation expenses for workers heading east and has pledged to help those who aren't.
Skip Kodak, the president of LEGO group in the Americas, said of the move in a press release: “Boston is ranked one of the best cities in the world to attract and retain talent. This, along with its world-class academic institutions, skilled workforce and great quality of life makes it an ideal location for our US head office.” He continued “We have exciting plans for the next phase of growth and hope we can retain many of our current team, as well as attract new colleagues.”
According to the press release, Lego has been located in Enfield since 1975, and at one point had a factory and a warehouse also at the location, but just the offices are there presently.
The move to Boston is expected to begin in mid-2025 and be complete by the end of 2026.
