Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund in Denmark started his business in 1932, with the intention of encouraging creative play and creativity among children. He began by manufacturing stepladders. However, the Great Depression forced him into a flexible business model. He switched his focus on the manufacturing of toys, and created one of the most popular brands.
Christiansen was a forward-thinker and was quick to adopt new technologies and materials. In 1947, he became the first company in the world to acquire a plastic injection molding machine which dramatically increased the range and capabilities of Lego products. The machine let him play around with and develop the Lego brick. The bricks were hollow on the bottom and had pegs at the top. They interlocked to allow children to create intricate structures that were far more complex than the ones made with wooden blocks from previous generations.
The 1950s were a decade of growth for the business. Kjeld Kirk Christiansen, Godtfred Kirk Christian’s daughter was a member of the management team and commenced modernizing the company’s manufacturing methods. The expansion included the launch a line dollhouses, furnishings and individual Minifigures. In 1979, the company widened its range of products to include sets with rockets and astronaut minifigures. They also introduced spaceships, lunar rovers and spaceships.
In 1990, the company launched three Model Team Sets that were made for builders who were advanced. These sets included small parts such as axles, gears, and levers. They also offered the kind of realism and accuracy that was unheard of in the Lego series at the time.