The FINANCIAL — Amazon.com, Inc. on November 8 announced plans to open its fourth Maryland fulfillment facility in Baltimore’s Sparrows Point, which will create more than 1,500 full-time positions.
Amazon currently employs more than 5,000 associates at its sortation and fulfillment centers in Baltimore and fulfillment center in North East, Maryland.
“We’re excited to open a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in historic Sparrows Point and to continue innovating in a state committed to providing great opportunities for jobs and customer experience. Maryland has an incredible workforce, and we are happy to add to the more than 5,000 associates already serving customers in the state,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s Vice President of North America Customer Fulfillment.
Over the past two years, Amazon has invested millions of dollars into its local fulfillment center infrastructure and through compensation to thousands of employees in the state. Amazon’s investments in Maryland contributed an additional $100 million into Maryland’s economy from 2014 through 2016, and using methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 3,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires, according to Amazon.
“Amazon’s decision to open a fourth facility in our state is tremendous news for this local community and for Maryland as a whole,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Successfully delivering this project and these 1,500 new jobs has been a top priority of our administration and another example of how Maryland is and will continue to be open for business.”
Amazon in Maryland by the numbers:
3 existing fulfillment facilities, two of which located in Baltimore city limits
2 fulfillment centers, 1 sortation center co-located with Prime Now hub
855,000 square feet for the new facility located at 1700 Sparrows Point Boulevard
More than 11,500 solar panels already installed on the rooftops of Baltimore fulfillment facilities generate more than 3.5MW of combined peak power. Amazon’s rooftop solar projects typically reduce the amount of electricity the site draws from the utility each year by 30%
3,000 estimated indirect jobs created as a result of Amazon’s investment between 2014 and 2016
4,000+ full-time employees in the greater Baltimore area; 5,000 state-wide
More than 100 restaurants in Baltimore leverage Amazon’s technological expertise to offer customers fast delivery on hot food through Amazon Restaurants
50,000+ authors, sellers and developers in Maryland growing their businesses and reaching new customers on Amazon products and services
Amazon has donated more than $150,000 to charities in Maryland through monetary and in-kind donations.
3.3 million total square feet footprint of the four fulfillment centers together
$100 million added into Maryland’s economy between 2014 and 2016 due to Amazon’s investments
“This is what job creation looks like: a world-class company investing in the region, bringing 1,500 new jobs to Baltimore County. We are pleased to welcome Amazon to the growing list of companies with a Tradepoint Atlantic address,” said Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.
“We are very pleased to welcome Amazon as our newest tenant,” said Eric Gilbert, chief development officer for Tradepoint Atlantic. “Amazon’s decision to locate its 855,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fulfillment center at Tradepoint Atlantic serves as further validation of the unique logistical advantages we offer and further establishes our location as a top destination for users seeking a best-in-class multi-modal logistics platform. Tradepoint also thanks our public partners at Baltimore County and the state of Maryland for their support in securing this major new investment and job creator for the region.”
Associates at the facility will pick, pack and ship customer items such as electronics, books, housewares and toys. Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one.
Amazon also offers regular full-time employees maternity and parental leave benefits and access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pre-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 10,000 employees have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.
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