FAYETTEVILLE – Amazon plans to build a 1.3 million square foot fulfillment facility in the Military Business Park in Fayetteville, which could employ more than 500 full-time jobs and hundreds of other part-time roles.
The news was announced this morning and shared with WRAL TechWire by the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC).
“At a minimum, the company committed to creating 500 full time jobs, starting at $15.00 per hour and an average annual salary of $33,000,” said Robert Van Geons, CEcD, the president and CEO of the Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, in an interview with WRAL TechWire.
The county average wage is about $31,300, said Van Geons.
The new facility is expected to open in 2023 and will be located on 94 acres of land. According to a statement, the facility will receive products and process them through the company’s fulfillment network, readying the products for shipping and delivery to its customers.
In May 2021, Amazon announced another project in Cumberland County, as reported by WRAL TechWire. That facility is still under construction, said Van Geons.
Last year, Amazon also announced two facilities in the Triangle and a distribution center in Smithfield where hundreds of jobs are also expected to be created.
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A complement
That facility will “complement” the new distribution center, a statement said.
The City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County each approved as much as $1.25 million in incentives, which the company will only receive if it meets certain job and investment targets. The funding is meant to assist with certain infrastructure improvements, according to the statement.
“Amazon is excited to expand operations in Cumberland County, North Carolina, investing in a new fulfilment center in Fayetteville,” said Nikki Forman, an Amazon spokesperson, in a statement. “We are committed to providing efficient delivery for customers and creating hundreds of jobs for the talented workforce in the area.”
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What this new facility means
“This Amazon facility in the Military Business Park means hundreds of new jobs for our County, as well as economic growth and advancement. This transformative investment is a major win for our community,” said County Commission Chairman Glenn Adams, who added that the project has an “aggressive timeline.”
The statement from the Fayetteville Cumberland County Economic Development Corporation noted that Amazon was influenced in its decision due to the county’s workforce and solid labor market, which is enhanced by the some 7,000 military servicemembers who transition from military roles into civilian roles each year.
Van Geons told WRAL TechWire that the region could soon have other economic development project announcements.
“We are seeing continued interest from logistics and technology companies as well as advanced manufacturing operations and hope to have a number of new announcements in the near future,” he said.
