Amazon confirms plans in Monroe
Fulfillment center along I-75 to create over 1,000 jobs.
Amazon confirmed Monday its plans to open a fourth Ohio fulfillment center that will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs in Monroe.
The 1-million-square foot facility near Interstate 75 will house employees who will pick, pack and ship larger customer orders. A specific location for the facility has not been officially announced. Amazon currently operates fulfillment centers in Etna and Obetz, and recently announced plans to build another center in North Randall.
“We are excited to continue growing in Ohio, adding 1,000 new jobs to the more than 6,000 Amazonians already working in the state,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s vice
president of North America Customer Fulfillment. “The support of local leaders and incredible workforce has been instrumental in our decision to locate the new fulfillment center in the state, and we are grateful for the support we’ve received to bring new jobs and investment to Ohio.”
The fulfillment center will be developed by IDI Gazeley, which currently has five available properties for development in Ohio, all at Park North in Monroe. The park is located on Gateway Boulevard.
IDI Gazeley develops warehousing, distribution and manufacturing facilities around the world, and specializes in sustainable warehouse development. This news organization has reached out to the developer for more information about the specific location of the Amazon project.
“Park North at Monroe is a master-planned logistics park strategically located along I-75 ..., ” the company states on its website.
Martin Russell, executive director of the Warren County Port Authority, said the county is excited to build on its partnership with the online giant.
“Amazon’s commitment to Warren County and all of southwest Ohio will afford those seeking employment with great opportunity. With Warren County’s prime location at the center of the U.S. market, we look forward to partnering with Amazon as they continue to grow their business here and globally,” Russell said.
The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.39 percent, 10-year tax credit for the Amazon facility that is expected to create $26.7 million in new payroll and be a $30 million fixed-asset investment. The tax credit starts in January. As part of the tax credit agreement, the Ohio Tax Credit Authority says Amazon will have to maintain operations at the Monroe location for at least 13 years.
The online retail giant also announced last week that it’s also searching for a location for its second U.S. headquarters. Amazon said on Thursday that it plans to open a second headquarters in North America that will cost $5 billion to build and operate. It will house around 50,000 employees.
“In addition to Amazon’s direct hiring and investment, construction and ongoing operation of Amazon HQ2 is expected to create tens of thousands of additional jobs and tens of billions of dollars in additional investment in the surrounding community,” the company said in a statement.
The company is seeking proposals from local and state government leaders interested in how they can bring Amazon to their community, the company said. Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle has brought an additional $38 million to the city’s economy from 2010 through 2016, the company estimates.
Amazon will consider locations for the second headquarters that have attributes including: metropolitan areas with more than one million people; a business-friendly environment; urban and suburban locations with the potential to attract “strong technical talent,” and communities that “think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.”
The city of Dayton plans to submit a proposal to be the site for the massive second headquarters.
“We believe our strong history of innovation, coupled with our workforce and easy access to transportation networks makes Dayton a strong contender among other cities looking to attract Amazon,” said Shelley Dickstein, city manager.
Amazon also announced earlier this year that it would invest $1.49 billion and bring 2,700 new jobs to a worldwide cargo hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, which is located in Hebron, Ky., won the bid from Amazon over the Wilmington Air Park in Ohio — bringing those jobs to over to Kentucky instead of Ohio. About 600 of those 2,700 new jobs will be full-time positions.