Today, Amazon.com, Inc. announced plans to locate a new robotics fulfillment center in Leon County, Florida, creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs, paying a starting wage of at least $15 an hour with industry-leading benefits starting on day one including healthcare, 401(k) retirement savings and career skills training programs.
“Amazon’s project is a once-in-a-generation economic development opportunity for the entire community,” said Leon County Commission Chairman Rick Minor. “Amazon’s investment in Florida’s Capital County will be transformative. According to FSU’s analysis, the project will generate 1,346 full-time jobs, 2,256 construction jobs and a total economic impact of $451 million. We are living in extraordinary times, and our ability to create more employment opportunities for local families could not have come at a better time.”
Employees at the fulfillment center will have the opportunity to engage with advanced robotics and pick, pack and ship small items, such as books, electronics and toys, to customers.
According to an economic impact analysis conducted by the FSU Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis, this project could create a total of 3,600 new jobs, $167.6 million in wages, and generate approximately $451 million in local economic impact for Tallahassee-Leon County.
“As they do with every business, I am proud of our many County teams who worked with Amazon to take this from an opportunity to a game-changing reality,” said Leon County Administrator Vincent S. Long. “The Amazon project will be the largest job producing opportunity in our community’s history, serving as a testament to Leon County’s continuous strategic efforts to develop and grow our local economy.”
Amazon is anticipated to deploy $200 million in capital investment for a new 630,000-square-foot fulfillment center, which will become the largest facility of this type in the entire Tallahassee Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Leon, Gadsden, Jefferson and Wakulla counties. Construction is expected to begin near the Mahan Drive/1-10 interchange in September 2021 and be completed in late 2022.
“We’re excited to announce five new delivery stations as we continue to invest in the state of Florida,” said Holly Sullivan, Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development for Amazon. “The new facilities not only allow us to better serve our customers across the state, it allows us to create jobs and drive opportunity within the Sunshine State. We’re proud to have created more than 52,000 jobs and invested more than $18 billion in the state over the past decade.”
The decision by Amazon to locate a distribution and fulfillment center in Leon County comes after the Intergovernmental Agency (IA) Board, comprised of City and County commissioners, approved approximately $2.5 million in incentives through the Office of Economic Vitality’s Targeted Business Program to support the company’s expansion.
“Supporting job growth and diversifying our economy is key to creating economic prosperity in our city,” City of Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey said. “This $200 million investment by Amazon will bring 1,000 new jobs to our community and is a testament to our position as a vital regional economic hub.”
The Office of Economic Vitality, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department, and Leon County Development Support and Environmental Management worked together with Amazon to facilitate the details of the expansion and assist with site planning and development needs. It is anticipated that this successful recruiting effort will continue to generate opportunities for local economic growth in Tallahassee-Leon County.
“For the past six years, the Office of Economic Vitality has implemented a successful strategy to diversify its economy to drive high-wage job creation,” said Cristina Paredes, director of the Office of Economic Vitality. “The announcement of Amazon’s fulfillment center and long-term investment in Tallahassee-Leon County is a major win for us and leverages our community’s business friendly climate and diverse talent pool.”
