Amazon construction well underway

Amazon construction well underway

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Amazon officially announced last week that it will be bringing a fulfillment center to their approximate 69 acres at the Madison County Megasite with projections to create as many 1,000 full-time jobs.

Amazon will launch a new “state-of-the-art” fulfillment center in Madison County creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs with what was described as industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits. Gov. Tate Reeves said that the facility leaves the state poised to be a “leader in logistics” based right out of the Madison County facility.

“The fact that Amazon has chosen to invest in Mississippi again is a testament to the unmatched work ethic and dedication Mississippians exhibit each day," Reeves said. "We are well-positioned to be a leader in logistics, and I want to thank the leadership in Madison County and at Amazon for bringing more than 1,000 jobs to the area.”

Amazon’s announcement comes on the heels of another shipping giant’s, UPS, plans to bring a $28.6 million investment to Ridgeland for a new package distribution facility expected to generate 161 jobs.

The purchase of the land by Amazon was announced in late July. The project is being developed by Trammell Crow Company.

Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, said that this fulfillment center will be the first facility in the state to feature Amazon’s innovative robotics technology. The center, which will be located at the Madison County Mega Site, will be Amazon’s third Mississippi fulfillment center. The online retail giant is building an 860,000 square-foot building in Horn Lake in addition to a warehouse in Olive Branch. Amazon currently has a receiving and sortation center in the Memphis metropolitan area.

Boler said that the facility will be at least four stories and will house the majority of the sortable goods sold by Amazon. Associates will pick, pack and ship customers’ orders alongside robots. Boler says that this allows for a more efficient process that will enable Amazon to more efficiently meet consumer demand.

“Mississippi is a great state for business and gives us the opportunity to better serve our customers in the region,” Boler said. “We are excited for our future in the magnolia state and for what this means for our customers as we continue to grow. We’d also like to thank local and state leaders for their strong support in making this project possible.” 

Boler said that they estimate there are more than 7,500 authors, small and medium-sized businesses, and developers in Mississippi growing their companies and reaching customers with Amazon products and services.

The new fulfillment center is expected to be operational by 2021, and the company plans to fill the 1,000 jobs in time for the 2021 peak holiday shopping season. 

Madison County District 4 Supervisor Karl Banks thanked the Mississippi Development Authority for their assistance in providing the Mega Site with much-needed infrastructure that attracts companies like Amazon.

“Madison County is elated that Amazon chose our community for its 700,000-square-foot robotics fulfillment center,” Banks said. “We would like to thank Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Development Authority for their support of this project. It will provide the necessary public utilities, including a new 1-million-gallon water tank located within the park in support of the Amazon facility. The state of Mississippi and Madison County working together are the reason for today’s success."

Amazon fits within the Madison County Economic Development authority vision for the site established around 2012. MCEDA continues to build a comprehensive marketing plan to help promote the attributes of the site to key target markets. Madison County’s recruitment efforts focus on the advanced manufacturing, warehouse and distribution and data center sectors.

With their 69 acres, Amazon is the initial tenant for the site. In late October, MCEDA and County officials announced the purchase of 520 acres within the Mega Site. This purchase brought the total acreage under Madison County’s control to 900 acres. Joey Deason, Executive Director of the Madison County Economic Development Authority, said that he looked forward to seeing what was in store for the future of the site.

“We thank the Madison County Board of Supervisors for providing the funding to move forward with the purchase of the additional property and their confidence in the MCEDA team.”, Deason said. “The leadership of the Madison County Board of Supervisors and the MCEDA Board has led to today’s successful land purchase. We look forward to many great things to come.”

The Journal has previously reported that MCEDA has been working closely with Entergy Mississippi to put in a $60 million substation that could provide upwards of 80 megawatts to service the Mega Site.






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