David Gay|Amarillo Globe-News
Officials with Amazon announced plans Thursday to open a new fulfillment center in Amarillo, creating more than 500 new full-time jobs for the area and having an approximate $35 million economic impact on the city when it is expected to open in early 2022.
This comes after the Potter County Commissioners’ Court and the Amarillo City Councilapproved a tax abatement agreement from the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation among the county, city, Happy Horizons Properties, LP, ET Amarillo LLC and Amazon.com Services LLC.
According to previous Globe-News reports, the fulfillment center will be a new, 1 million-square-foot facility located on 110.39 acres at NE 24th Streetand Loop 335. There will be $100 million in capital investment for the facility, with $70 million going towardthe building itself and $30 million in equipment.
The more than 500 full-time positions, as well as the numerous part-time employees, will have a minimum projected payroll of at least $13.5 million. The center will specialize in picking, packing and shipping large items including furniture, outdoor equipment and appliances.
Mark Marzano, Amazon’s director of operations, joined representatives from the city, Potter County, State Sen.Kel Seliger and State Rep.Four Pricefor the announcement. Marzano said this was an exciting announcement to make, choosing Amarillo for its strong workforce as well as its state and local partners.
“While Amazon’s new presence in Amarillo hasn’t really been much of a secret, it’s very exciting for us as we grow our operations in Texas and the Texas Panhandle and strive to offer faster delivery for our customers across the state,” he said. “...I can’t think of a better place for us to be growing our operations and adding new employees from… Thank you for welcoming us to Amarillo and to the great state of Texas. We are proud of the job creation we are bringing and we look forward to continuing our growth throughout the state.”
Amarillo City Councilman Eddy Sauer said this partnership helps prove that the city’s economy is poised for a strong bounce back after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. He expects the partnership between the city and Amazon to be a great experience.
With the addition of the facility, Sauer said he expects it could spur other jobs in the community related to the facility, including independent trucking companies wanting to be involved with distribution. Sauer compared the future impact of Amazon’s facility to the expected impact of the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine’s presence in the community.
“You are going to have lots of different ancillary things that are going to need to be there in support. It really is the tip of the iceberg in what it actually will provide for the city,” Sauer said.“It’s a game-changing addition to the city.”
Seliger said that the goal is for Amazon to state that one of the best decisions they have made was placing this specific center in Amarillo.
Price echoed Seliger’s sentiments, stating that it is a win-win agreement for both parties.
“I think it’s a very strategic win for Amazon and I think it’s a very important win for the community and for the economic impact that this will have, not only in terms of jobs… but with opportunity there in Amarillo and the surrounding areas,” he said.
Kevin Carter, president and chief executive officer of the AEDC, said he hopesthis decision will lead to more growth in the future.
“We hope that they see potential here,” he said. “It just all depends… on where the logistics are but we are sitting in a great spot in the country.”
Sauer said this opportunity just adds to the list of why people should make their residence in Amarillo.
“We are on I-40. We are right smack in the middle of the country. We’ve got easy access and it’s a great place to grow, a great place to set up. If you are going to be doing business all over the United States, this is a perfect place for you to be,” he said. “...For Amazon to be making this kind of a move and saying this kind of a statement, it just lets everybody else know what we already know: that Amarillo is one of the greatest places to be.”
According to a news release, the addition of the center in Amarillo will add to the more than 70,000 jobs the company has in Texas. For more information, visit www.aboutamazon.com.
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