Improving Business in the Wilmington Region

Amazon Breaks Ground for Wilmington’s First Robotics Fulfillment Center

The more than 650,000 square-foot facility will create more than 1,000 new jobs

Wilmington, North Carolina – March 12 – As part of its continued investment in North Carolina, today, Amazon announced plans to open its first robotics fulfillment center in Greater Wilmington, creating more than 1,000 full- and part-time jobs. This new investment will help improve delivery speeds for customers, boost local economic growth, and add to the more than 27, 000 full- and part-time jobs created and $12 billion invested in the Tar Heel State since 2010. The new facility, which is approximately 650,000 square feet and more than 3 million square feet in floor area across four-and-a-half floors, is anticipated to launch in 2026 just in time for the holiday season.

“North Carolina has proven itself to be a great place for Amazon to do business and gives us the opportunity to better serve our customers in the region,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon’s Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development. “We are excited about our growth in Wilmington and are committed to creating a positive economic impact by bringing more than 1,000 job opportunities with great pay and comprehensive benefits to the local community.”

At fulfillment centers, employees pick, pack, and ship customers’ orders. This is considered Amazon’s “first mile” network, meaning it’s the first point for a customer’s package in the flow of materials within the supply chain before it’s passed along to “middle mile” centers then a delivery service provider to be dropped off at a customer’s doorstep.

Amazon began constructing the facility last fall. The site, which sits along the New Hanover-Pender County line, comes on the heels of the company’s announcement for a last-mile delivery station it is planning to build at the northern edge of Pender Commerce Park.

“The arrival of the world’s leading e-commerce pioneer rounds out a remarkable success story that began in a field of dreams two decades ago that is now a major engine for new jobs and economic investment,” said Randy Burton, chairman of the Pender County Board of Commissioners. “We thank our partners at Wilmington Business Development for their tireless effort on this project and look forward to supporting Amazon as it grows its state-of-the-art operations in our community.”

“The development of this cutting-edge facility brings further diversification to Greater Wilmington’s economic base and marks the arrival of a trailblazing employer with a proven track record of civic engagement and community investment,” said Bill Rivenbark, chairman of the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners. “Congratulations to Amazon for the tremendous growth that has led to its new fulfillment center, and my thanks go out to our partners at Wilmington Business Development and Pender County for their hard work in ushering this historic opportunity to fruition.”

“The arrival of one of the world’s most recognizable corporate brands is a fitting way to close out the development of Pender Commerce Park and celebrate the transformation of this once-quiet corner of our region into one of North Carolina’s busiest destinations for logistics and distribution operations,” said Scott Satterfield, CEO of Wilmington Business Development. “This is the single largest economic development announcement in regional history and I’m incredibly proud of the multi-year recruitment effort of our team and associated partners.”

Amazon supports more than one million employees worldwide who are innovating and working to serve customers throughout several global fulfillment centers, retail locations, data centers, corporate offices, tech hubs, and headquarters locations. Hourly members of Amazon’s front-line team across the fulfillment and transportation network receive at least an average base wage of more than $22 per hour and average total compensation of more than $29 per hour when you include the value of their elected benefits.

Full-time hourly employees have access to comprehensive benefits starting on day one, including full health, vision and dental, 401k with 50 percent company match and up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave. In addition, full-time hourly employees have access to continuing education opportunities through the company’s upskilling program, Career Choice, in which Amazon will pre-pay tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Amazon prioritizes the safety and health of its employees and has made major investments in workplace safety. To learn more about our newest safety data, click here.

Amazon is also committed to supporting the communities where it operates across North Carolina. This past year, Amazon donated more than $40,000 to a variety of local nonprofits and organizations to help bolster the important work being done by these entities throughout the state. In January, the company donated $10,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Triangle to strengthen the organization’s mission to provide essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare. During the holidays, Amazon donated $10,000 to Farmer Foodshare and partnered with them to deliver hundreds of boxes of food to more than 1,200 individuals who experience food insecurity in the Triangle. The company also donated $10,000 to South Garner High School to help support the school’s logistics and STEM academy programming. In addition, Amazon donated $10,000 to Family First in Charlotte, a leading name in the household staffing industry that sets individuals up for sustainable success at home.

To see the journey of an Amazon package, click here. To learn more about working at an Amazon facility, visit www.amazondelivers.jobs. Hiring for this facility typically starts two to three months before it officially opens.

About Amazon:
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, Earth’s best employer, and Earth’s safest place to work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon.

About Wilmington Business Development
Founded in 1956, Wilmington Business Development oversees business recruitment and industrial retention for the City of Wilmington, New Hanover County and Pender County. A private, non-profit organization, WBD supports members, partners and allies through an array of technical expertise, leadership resources and value-added business services. For additional information, visit www.wilmingtonbusinessdevelopment.com