IKEA To Lift 200,000 People Out of Poverty Without Using Any Nails

OK, maybe the last part of that headline is a joke, but the rest of it isn’t. IKEA, the brand known just as much for its meatballs as it is for its furniture has taken on the ambitious goal of helping over 200,000 disadvantaged people out of poverty over the next few years. How do they plan to do it? It sounds like they mainly want them to come work in their factories. Sure, it’s not as cool as some of their space saving shelving units, but the end result is still pretty impressive.

In an new declaration, IKEA has announced that they are getting ready to build a new distribution center this summer in Jordan. The goal of the center will be to hire Syrian refugees who are currently struggling due to the fact that… well… they’re refugees. The new plant, which should be open by August will see the workers producing rugs, cushions, bedspreads, and other handmade woven items. As an added bonus, you can bet that these goods will come tagged with a label that tugs on your heart strings as much as it does your purse strings.

When the plan first opens, it will employ 100. Within two years, that number will be 400, with a promise that no less than half the workers will be Syrian Refugees while the rest will be local workers. This doesn’t sound like a lot of people, but it is just one of the many factories like this that IKEA is setting up around the world. Other plants include operations in India and Sweden, which currently employ around 2,000 people. It is IKEA’s goal to continue ramping this up until they are actively helping 200,000 people at any given time.