Governor Brian P. Kemp announced Monday that Amazon will further expand its Georgia presence with a new fulfillment center planned in Appling, Georgia. The new, multi-level operations facility will feature innovative Amazon robotics technology and create 800 new, full-time jobs.
“Amazon’s continued investments in Georgia are a testament to all that our state can offer, including the logistics and top-notch workforce needed for their growing global business,” said Governor Kemp. “I could not be more proud to welcome them to the Central Savannah River Area, and I am excited for the hardworking Georgians who will benefit from this new operation.”
“We are proud to continue our investment in Georgia with great jobs and a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Columbia County to serve our customers across the state,” said Robert Packett, regional director of Amazon operations. “The Peach State and its incredible workforce have been vital to our ability to provide great selection, competitive prices and the Prime services we know our customers love. We are excited to create 800 new full-time jobs, with industry leading pay and benefits on day one, in the community.”
Amazon employees at the Appling location at White Oak Business Park will work alongside Amazon’s innovative robotics technology to pick, pack, and ship smaller customer orders, such as books, toys, and small household goods.
“Amazon’s announcement represents the single-largest project announcement ever in Columbia County, both for job creation and capital investment. We are thankful and excited to welcome Amazon and the jobs they are bringing to our community and White Oak Business Park at I-20,” said Columbia County Board of Commissioners Chairman Doug Duncan. “I commend the effort and support of Governor Kemp, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the Development Authority of Columbia County, and Columbia County’s staff. Thank you Amazon, for selecting Columbia County.”
Amazon currently employs more than 3,500 full-time employees in Georgia and has existing operations facilities in Jefferson, Braselton, Lithia Springs, East Point, Kennesaw, Macon, and Union City. The company expects to add an additional 1,000 jobs at its new fulfillment center in Stone Mountain and 500 new jobs at its Newnan fulfillment center, which was announced in January. The company also has two Prime Now Hubs and one Tech Hub in Atlanta, and several Whole Foods store locations across the state.
“Amazon jobs are great jobs with great benefits,” said Packett. “On top of our industry-leading $15 minimum wage, the company offers full-time employees comprehensive benefits including full medical, vision, and dental insurance, and 401(k) with 50% company match, all starting on day one. All associates go through hours of safety training and have access to continuing education opportunities through Amazon’s Career Choice program, in which the company will pre-pay up to 95% of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.”
Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $3.6 billion in Georgia through its local fulfillment center and cloud infrastructure, research facilities, and compensation to thousands of employees. Amazon’s investments in Georgia contributed an additional $1.2 billion into the economy, and using methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the company estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 5,000 indirect jobs on top of Amazon’s 3,500 direct hires.
Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Assistant Director Hank Evans represented the Global Commerce Division on this competitive project in partnership with Georgia EMC and the Development Authority of Columbia County.
“This is exciting news for our state, and we thank Amazon for their continued investment in Georgia,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Especially now, during COVID-19, we are proud of our team’s hard work to continuously meet the needs of world-renowned companies like Amazon. We are also grateful for our economic development partners in Columbia County and the region, who again have shown their strong commitment throughout this project.”
