US online retail giant Amazon has announced plans to open a 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center in DuPont, Washington. Amazon will create hundreds of full-time jobs with benefits at the new site. The expected investment in the project will exceed $100 million.
“We are proud that Amazon calls Washington home and has decided to expand further in our state. Amazon exemplifies our culture of innovation and global perspective,” said Governor Chris Gregoire. “I congratulate Amazon on its ongoing success, and we look forward to working together to support the company’s continued prosperity and growth. I’m pleased that joining with our local partners and Amazon, we were able to bring this significant investment and hundreds of good jobs to Pierce County.”
At the facility, Amazon employees will pick, pack and ship larger items to customers—anything from canoes to televisions, for example. Amazon fulfillment center jobs pay on average 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs and that doesn’t even include the stock grants that full-time employees receive, which over the past five years have added an average of 9 percent to base pay annually.
Amazon offers full-time benefits including healthcare. The company also has a robust military recruiting program and recently committed to hire at least 1,200 veterans in the coming year. DuPont is neighbors with Joint Base Lewis-McChord, one of the largest military installations on the west coast of the United States.
“We are excited to increase our presence in the state of Washington with this new fulfillment center,” said Dave Clark, vice president of Amazon global customer fulfillment. “We appreciate the state and local leaders who have helped us make this site in DuPont a reality.”
