Amazon today formally announced that they will launch a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Wilmington, creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs. Amazon first launched operations in New Castle in 1997 with its first fulfillment center in the network and launched its second Delaware fulfillment center in Middletown in 2012. The company has now grown to more than 110 fulfillment centers in North America and 185 globally, fulfilling millions of customer orders every day.
“Amazon already employs more than 2,500 Delawareans, and we welcome additional investment that will result in more jobs for Delaware families — especially at vacant industrial sites that are ideal for redevelopment,” said Delaware Gov. John Carney. “Delaware has a world-class workforce, a central location and a quality of life that is second to none. For those reasons and more, Delaware is a great place for businesses of all sizes to grow and create jobs.”
Amazon will lease a built-to-suit building, developed by Dermody Properties, at the site of the former General Motors’ Wilmington assembly plant, which closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2019. This is Dermody Properties’ – a premier e-commerce, logistics real estate development firm’s – first venture in Delaware. Jeffrey A. Zygler, a partner at Dermody Properties said, “Delaware officials and regulatory agencies have been very responsive to our needs, which is paramount in projects of this magnitude. Their collaborative approach and commitment allowed us to attract Amazon to our project.”
Amazon’s new operations facility will span more than 820,000 square feet on the ground floor. Employees at the site will work alongside innovative Amazon robotics technology to pick, pack and ship smaller customer items such as books, electronics, small household goods and toys. In addition, Amazon will hire for roles in human resources, operations management, safety, security, finance and information technology.
“The First State was home to Amazon’s first fulfillment center 23 years ago,” said Ryan Smith, director of Amazon robotics fulfillment centers in North America. “I’m proud to see the continued growth and investment in Delaware with our newest fulfillment center in Wilmington. Amazon has found an outstanding, passionate workforce, strong state and local support and incredible customers across the state. We look forward to creating 1,000 new, full-time jobs with industry leading pay and benefits, starting on day one, in a safe, innovative and quality work environment. I know first-hand the opportunity and support network we provide employees for long-term, career success, and I’m excited to provide that same opportunity for thousands of current and future Amazonians.”
On top of the company’s $15 minimum wage, full-time employees receive comprehensive benefits, including full medical, vision and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50 percent company match, starting on day one, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The company also offers up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave and innovative benefits such as Leave Share and Ramp Back. At Amazon, these benefits and opportunities come with the job, as does the ability to communicate directly with the leadership of the company.
“The Amazon location announcement says something about the state of our economy, but also about the spirit of our people in New Castle County,” said County Executive Matt Meyer. “When you have one of our largest commercial sites, one that hasn’t created any jobs, barren for more than a decade, it speaks to the neighbors and the community here. Now we’re going to have the retail operation of the future, creating more than 1,000 jobs, and we’ll have a workforce that will deliver for them.”
In addition, Amazon has pledged to invest over $700 million to provide upskilling training for 100,000 U.S. employees for in-demand jobs. Programs will help Amazonians from all backgrounds access training to move into highly-skilled roles across the company’s corporate offices, tech hubs, fulfillment centers, retails stores and transportation network or pursue career paths outside of Amazon.
“At Amazon, we want to help our employees get the skills they need for today’s – and tomorrow’s – most in-demand jobs,” said Smith. “All associates go through hours of safety training and ongoing coaching and have access to continuing education opportunities through Amazon’s upskilling programs, such as Career Choice, in which 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 program’s launch, more than 25,000 employees have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.”
Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $2.5 billion in Delaware through its customer fulfillment infrastructure and compensation its employees, according to the company. Amazon’s investments in Delaware have contributed an additional $1 billion into the state’s economy, and, using methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 700-plus indirect jobs on top of the company’s 2,500 direct hires.
Amazon’s fulfillment network supports millions of businesses of all sizes worldwide through its Fulfillment By Amazon offering. There are more than 6,000 authors, small and medium-sized businesses and developers in Delaware growing their businesses and reaching new customers with their products and services on Amazon.
There are nearly 3,500 nonprofit organizations in Delaware that Amazon customers can support simply by shopping on Amazon Smile. Amazon supports local nonprofits and local public schools through both monetary and in-kind donations in the communities where associates live and work. Amazon associates regularly volunteer in the community with a wide range of activities from building homes, hosting game nights at senior centers and supporting community events and schools. Amazon has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Delaware nonprofits, including the Appoquinimink Community Library, the Delaware Boys & Girls Club, the Poly Tech High School Robotics Club and the Food Bank of Delaware. The company also donated more than $20,000 in STEM learning items and toys to children battling cancer at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital.
Created in 2017, the Delaware Prosperity Partnership (DPP) is a nonprofit that leads the state of Delaware’s economic development efforts to attract, grow and retain businesses; to build a stronger entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem; and to support private employers in identifying, recruiting and developing talent in the state of Delaware.
SOURCE: Amazon