 |
Gov. Ralph Northam
|
RICHMOND, VA —Gov. Ralph
Northam announced that Amazon continues to invest in
Virginia with the launch of a new, state-of-the-art robotics fulfillment center
on 119 acres of ancillary land at Richmond Raceway in Henrico County.The company will construct a multi-story,
650,000-square-foot facility with innovative robotics technology, adding over
1,000 new jobs to Amazon’s existing workforce of more than 27,000 full- and
part-time employees in the Commonwealth.
 |
| Brian Ball |
The facility will be the first of its kind in
Central Virginia and is anticipated to launch in 2022.
“Amazon continues to demonstrate confidence in
Virginia by expanding and reinvesting in our Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam.
“This new robotics fulfillment center in
Henrico County is the latest milestone in the growing partnership between
Amazon and Virginia, and reinforces our standing as both a technology hub and a
leader in supply chain management.
 |
| Alicia Boler Davis |
"As we work to rebound from the impacts
of the pandemic, we are grateful for Amazon’s commitment to supporting our
communities and providing jobs to thousands of Virginians.”
Amazon first launched its Virginia fulfillment
operations in 2006 in Sterling. Since then, the company has grown its robust
operations network to include more than 10 fulfillment and sortation centers
and delivery stations.
 |
| Frank J. Thornton |
In
addition to the company’s Arlington headquarters, Amazon also has 13 Whole
Foods Market locations across the Commonwealth and three Prime Now Hubs.
In March 2020, Amazon announced a
robotics fulfillment center in Suffolk and a processing center (cross-dock) in
Chesapeake. Both facilities are anticipated to launch later this year.
“Virginia is uniquely positioned to provide
Amazon with unparalleled access to national and global markets, as evidenced by
the company’s state-of-the-art fulfillment centers across the Commonwealth,” said
Secretary of Commerce and Trade Brian Ball.
 |
| Lesa Kennedy |
“Our transportation and logistics
infrastructure provides businesses direct connectivity for distribution, one of
many advantages Virginia boasts in the supply chain industry.
"We are proud to be home to much of
Amazon’s continued growth, and we thank the company for its additional
investment in the Commonwealth.”
Since 2010, Amazon’s investments have contributed an additional $17.5 billion
to Virginia’s economy and helped create over 52,100 indirect jobs on top of
Amazon’s direct hires—from jobs in construction and logistics to professional
services.
 |
Stephen A. Edwards
|
In
addition, more than 48,000 independent authors and small and medium businesses
in Virginia are selling to customers in Amazon’s store.
“Amazon has been proud to call Virginia home
since 2006,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s Vice President of
Global Customer Fulfillment. “Collectively it takes a strong workforce
and local support network to serve our customers across the Commonwealth and
the region.
"The launch of this state-of-the-art
fulfillment center in Central Virginia will create more than 1,000 jobs with
industry-leading pay and benefits starting on the first day of employment. I’m
excited to see Virginians continue to excel at Amazon, building better and
brighter futures.”
 |
Leslie Haley
|
Amazon offers highly competitive pay and
benefits starting on the first day of employment. The company provides a
starting wage of $15 an hour and offers full-time employees industry-leading
benefits, including full health, vision and dental insurance, 401(k) with 50
percent company match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave, and Amazon’s
innovative
Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95
percent of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. Since the program’s
launch, over 1,600 employees in Virginia have pursued degrees in game design
and visual communications, nursing, IT programming, and radiology, among
others.
In addition, Amazon has pledged to invest over
$700 million to provide upskilling training for 100,000 U.S. employees for
in-demand jobs.
 |
| Lamont Bagby |
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership
worked with the Henrico Economic Development Authority, The Port of Virginia,
and the Greater Richmond Partnership to secure the project for the
Commonwealth.
Amazon
is eligible to receive benefits from the Port of Virginia Economic and
Infrastructure Development Zone Grant Program, as well as the Virginia
Enterprise Zone Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and
Community Development.
Funding and services to support the company’s
employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs
Investment Program.
 |
Amazon Virginia Headquarters Building
Crystal City, Arlington, VA
|
“Thank you to Amazon for selecting Henrico County for one of its world-class
e-commerce facilities,” said Frank Thornton, Henrico County Supervisor representing the
Fairfield District.
“The site is an ideal
location for a major e-commerce operation, and we thank the Richmond Raceway
team for connecting us to Amazon and Hillwood Partners.
"We know Amazon strives for the highest
level of customer satisfaction and with Henrico’s workforce offering all
backgrounds and skill levels, Amazon will succeed.”
“We are proud to be a part of Henrico County and the Richmond business
community,” stated Lesa Kennedy, Executive Vice Chair of NASCAR.
 |
Amazon's planned robotics fulfillment center
in Virginia at Richmond Raceway
in Henrico County |
“Amazon is an important partner for the
Commonwealth of Virginia and we know they will be a great community partner for
Henrico County.
"We look forward to the success of this
outstanding facility and the incredible opportunity it will create for years to
come.”
“Amazon’s growing presence in Virginia is helping create jobs, fuel the state’s
economy, and build the amount of cargo moving through The Port of Virginia,” said Virginia Port Authority CEO and Executive
Director Stephen A. Edwards.
“The company’s strategic decision to build a
new fulfillment center in Henrico County allows Amazon to better serve its
customers while capitalizing on the supply chain efficiencies and service
delivery the port offers.
"We value Amazon’s partnership and are
looking forward to growing this collaborative and beneficial relationship.”
 |
| Port of Virginia |
“We are thrilled that Amazon has recognized Greater Richmond as a top logistics
location by selecting Henrico County for this new state-of-the-art robotics
facility,” said Leslie Haley, Chair of the Greater Richmond Partnership and
Chesterfield County Supervisor.
“This
is the latest among Amazon’s major investments in the region and will provide
much-needed jobs for our residents.”
“I am extremely pleased that Amazon chose our community for its new fulfillment
center,” said Delegate
Lamont Bagby.
“Henrico County has become a top destination
for the technology industry and now the e-commerce industry.
"Amazon’s decision to invest and locate
its newest facility here speaks volumes to the collective efforts the
Commonwealth and Henrico County provide in our efforts to build an economy that
is both innovative and diverse.”
CONTACTS:
Office
of the Governor: Alena Yarmosky, Alena.Yarmosky@governor.virginia.gov
Virginia
Economic Development Partnership: Suzanne
Clark, sclark@vedp.org
