Amazon currently employs more than 1,500 in
Alberta; new facility will create
an additional 600 full-time jobs in Leduc County
SEATTLE, Dec. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - Amazon (NASDAQ:
AMZN) today announced plans for a new fulfillment centre in
Leduc County, creating more than 600 full-time jobs with
opportunities for career training and development by 2020. The
1-million-square-foot customer fulfillment facility will be
Amazon's second in Alberta, where
it currently employs more than 1,500 full-time associates in Rocky
View County.
"Our ability to create over 600 good-paying jobs with great
benefits is thanks to the network of support we've received and the
skilled workforce in the region," said Glenn Sommerville, Director of Amazon Operations
in Canada. "We're grateful for the
welcome we've received from government and community leaders and
excited by our growth in Alberta
and ability to better serve our customers."
Once open, the new facility will be Amazon's 11th fulfillment
facility in Canada and joins
Amazon's current fulfillment centres in Alberta, British
Columbia and Ontario.
"We are working hard to encourage investment, diversification
and the creation of more good jobs in Alberta," said Alberta Premier Rachel
Notley. "Today's announcement by Amazon means hundreds of
jobs and more opportunities are on their way, helping to make life
better for more Alberta workers
and families. I want to congratulate Amazon for once again
investing in Alberta and thank
everyone who helped to make this investment possible."
Associates at the more than 1,000,000-square-foot facility will
pick, pack and ship larger customer items such as outdoor
equipment, patio furniture and bicycles. Full-time employees at
Amazon receive competitive hourly wages, medical, vision and dental
coverage, RRSP contribution matching, stock awards, and
performance-based bonuses starting on day one.
"This announcement by Amazon is another vote of confidence in
the Edmonton region as an economic
hub in Alberta," said Amarjeet Sohi, Member of Parliament for Edmonton
Mill Woods and Minister of Natural Resources. "The new centre will
spark economic activity and create good-paying jobs in our region.
I look forward to construction beginning next year."
Amazon also offers employees access to innovative programs like
Career Choice, where it will pay up to 95 percent of tuition for
courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the
skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the program's
launch, more than 16,000 employees across the globe have pursued
degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT
programming and radiology, to name a few.
"It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Amazon to our community,"
says Tanni Doblanko, Mayor of Leduc
County. "We couldn't be more proud that Amazon has selected Leduc
County as the location of its newest fulfillment centre in
Canada. Amazon's expansion will
create well-paying, stable jobs for our citizens and help diversify
and strengthen our local economy, the long-term sustainability of
our region and our community-at-large. Leduc County is an ideal
location for world-class businesses to set up or expand their
operations, as evidenced by the fact Fortune 500 companies such as
Amazon want to invest here."
"We welcome Amazon's expansion into the Edmonton Metro region," said Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton. "This expansion will create more
local jobs and contribute to our regional economic prosperity."
The project is being developed by ONE Properties and TD
Greystone Asset Management.
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. Customer reviews, 1-Click
shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by
Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire
TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services
pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit
amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
SOURCE Amazon Canada