» PROJECT BIG DADDY: How Monroe landed Amazon’s next fulfillment center
Where would you like to see Amazon build their second headquarters? https://t.co/tXfkYY5Dia @daytondailynews @WHIORadio
— Kara Driscoll (@KaraDDriscoll) January 18, 2018
Today, Amazon announced it has chosen the following 20 metropolitan areas to move to the next phase of the process:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Boston, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Indianapolis, IN
- Los Angeles, CA
- Miami, FL
- Montgomery County, MD
- Nashville, TN
- Newark, NJ
- New York City, NY
- Northern Virginia, VA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Raleigh, NC
- Toronto, ON
- Washington D.C.
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Amazon expects to make a decision in 2018.
#Columbus has been selected as a finalist for @amazon's second headquarters! I'll continue to work w/ @WhyOhio & @CBUSRegion to help show why Cbus is the best choice for Amazon. https://t.co/IrKD87HYWb #Ohio
— Rob Portman (@senrobportman) January 18, 2018
Amazon already has a major presence in Ohio. In Ohio, Amazon has launched operations at two different fulfillment centers in Etna and Obetz, and also has Prime Now sites in Columbus and Valley View. In Etna — about 20 minutes east of Columbus — Amazon’s fulfillment facility has more than 3,000 full-time employees who pick, pack and shop customer orders.
The massive facility is more than 1 million square feet — about the size of 28 football fields, and holds tens of millions of products with more than 14 miles of conveyor belts weaving throughout the building.
The building utilizes Amazon robotic technology, vision systems and almost 20 years worth of software and mechanical innovations to fulfill customer orders. Amazon has more than 80 fulfillment centers, and continues to grow nationwide and across the world.
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“We are excited to continue growing in Ohio, adding 1,000 new jobs to the more than 6,000 Amazonians already working in the state,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s vice president of North America Customer Fulfillment. “The support of local leaders and incredible workforce has been instrumental in our decision to locate the new fulfillment center in the state, and we are grateful for the support we’ve received to bring new jobs and investment to Ohio.”
Amazon confirmed last year that it will build another fulfillment center in Monroe that will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.39 percent, 10-year tax credit for the Amazon facility that is expected to create $26.7 million in new payroll and be a $30 million fixed-asset investment. The tax credit starts in January. As part of the tax credit agreement, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority says Amazon will have to maintain operations at the Monroe location for at least 13 years.
The online giant also announced plans to build another center in North Randall, Ohio.
Amazon HQ2 will be a complete headquarters for Amazon, not a satellite office. The company plans to invest over $5 billion and grow this second headquarters to accommodate as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs. In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community.
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