Amazon Announces Plans to Open Its Fourth Fulfillment Center in Washington; Company Will Create Hundreds of Full-Time Jobs at New Kent Site SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 14, 2014-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced plans to open a nearly 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Kent, Wash. Amazon will create hundreds of full-time jobs at the site when it opens. This will be the company's fourth fulfillment center in the state. Amazon's other Washington fulfillment centers are located in Sumner and Bellevue, and a DuPont site is near completion.
We're excited to bring hundreds of great full-time jobs with benefits to Kent and proud to further invest in Washington state with this new fulfillment center, said Mike Roth, Amazons vice president of North America operations. We are grateful to local and state elected officials who have supported Amazon in bringing a new fulfillment center to the state of Washington.
Amazons expansion is great news for the people who will be working in the hundreds of great jobs there, as well as for all of Washington, said Governor Jay Inslee. Amazon is a marquee company for how Washington innovation can change the world.
Amazon offers hourly employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where the company will pre-pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the programs launch last summer, employees are pursuing degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few. Amazon fulfillment center jobs pay on average 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs. In addition to highly competitive wages, Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits on day one, bonuses and stock awards.
Amazon's latest expansion of their hometown footprint, bringing so many great jobs, is extremely important to help grow and diversify the Kent Valley economy, said Brian Bonlender, director for the Washington State Department of Commerce. The company's decision also highlights the numerous advantages that attract and keep world-class employers in Washington State, including a highly competitive business climate, well-educated workforce and outstanding quality of life. We are proud that Amazon continues to invest in our state and look forward to supporting their growth.
At the facility, Amazon employees will pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and consumer goods.
Amazon's decision to invest in Kent is a tremendous vote of confidence in our community, said Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke. This announcement signifies we have the infrastructure, the workforce and the business-friendly climate needed to support a company like Amazon. This bodes well for Kent's future in attracting high-tech industries.
IDS Real Estate Group and Clarion Partners are building the site as part of a joint venture. To learn more about working at an Amazon fulfillment center, visit www.amazonfulfillmentcareers.com.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earths Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earths most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazons developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazons own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the worlds best-selling and most advanced e-reader. It features new display technology with higher contrast, the next generation built-in light, a faster processor, the latest touch technology, and exclusive new features designed from the ground up for readers. Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, features improved fonts and faster page turns. The new Kindle Fire HDX features a stunning exclusive 7 or 8.9 HDX display, a quad-core 2.2 GHz processor, 2x more memory, and 11 hours of battery life, as well as exclusive new features of Fire OS 3.0 including X-Ray for Music, Second Screen, Prime Instant Video downloads, and the revolutionary new Mayday button. The all-new Kindle Fire HD includes an HD display, high-performance processor and dual speakers at a breakthrough price.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es, www.amazon.com.br, www.amazon.in, www.amazon.com.mx, and www.amazon.com.au. As used herein, Amazon.com, we, our and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from managements expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial ag
