A plastic injection moulding machine purchased in 1947 marked a decisive shift for the Billund woodworking shop, transitioning its primary output from birch toys to the construction blocks that would eventually dominate the global market. This investment cost twice the company's annual profit, a significant financial gamble taken by a carpenter who spent his life working with timber.
Early Development and Carpentry
Born in 1891 in Filskov Parish, Christiansen began his working life as a farmhand at age six. By 1905, he commenced an apprenticeship under his brother, Kristian Bonde Christiansen. His technical training continued at Haslev Technical School following military service in 1911. He gained international experience working in Norway and Germany before returning to Denmark in 1916. Settling in Billund, he established his own business, Billund Maskinsnedkeri og Tømreforretning, initially focusing on general construction and household goods for the local community.
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Take the IQ test →Economic Hardship and the Pivot to Toys
The onset of the Great Depression severely restricted demand for furniture and building supplies. Faced with dwindling revenue and the necessity to lay off his workforce, Christiansen pivoted to manufacturing inexpensive wooden items. Despite opposition from his family during negotiations for a bailout loan, he formally founded the business that became the Lego Group in 1932. He developed a specific process for his wooden toys, which included three weeks of kiln drying followed by triple-coating with varnish.
Technological Transition
War-time shortages encouraged manufacturers to seek synthetic alternatives, prompting the 1947 acquisition of a Danish plastic injection moulding machine. The firm introduced the Automatic Binding Brick in 1949, refining the concept based on building blocks initially designed by Hilary Fisher Page. Achieving consistent friction, or clutch power, proved difficult until the adoption of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene as the material for the bricks. The patent for the final iteration of this interlocking design was secured in Copenhagen on 28 January 1958.
Fast facts
- Born: 1891, Filskov Parish
- Died: 1958, Billund
- Company founded: 1932
- First plastic moulding machine purchased: 1947
- Patented plastic brick design: 28 January 1958
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Denmark
- Burial location: Billund
Questions readers ask
What does the word Lego mean?
It is a derivation of the Danish phrase Leg godt, which translates to play well.
Who succeeded Ole Kirk Christiansen after his death?
His son, Godtfred, assumed management of the company in 1958 and led it until 1995.
Achievements
- Worked as carpenter, entrepreneur and founder
