Amazon announced the company plans to open a fulfillment center in Edgerton, Kansas, creating approximately 1,000 full-time hourly positions, plus many managerial and support roles to support customer fulfillment.
“We’re excited to bring 1,000 great full-time jobs with benefits to the Kansas City region and proud to further invest in the state with this new fulfillment center,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North American operations, in a news release. “We are grateful for the enthusiasm of our many state and local partners who have supported Amazon in bringing a new fulfillment center to Kansas. This has been a true team effort.”
Gov. Sam Brownback said, “This is good news for Kansas. In addition to creating 1,000 jobs, Amazon is investing in our state, workforce and the community. The quality of the Kansas workforce and our central location in the heart of the nation contributed to their decision to locate in Logistics Park Kansas City.”
Amazon said employees at the 800,000-plus square-foot Edgerton fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship large items to customers such as big-screen televisions, sports equipment or kayaks for example.
Full-time employees at Amazon will receive "competitive hourly wages and a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on day one, as well as generous maternity and paternity leave benefits," according to the news release.
In Kansas, Amazon currently operates facilities in Lenexa.
“The City of Edgerton is pleased that Amazon has chosen a site at Logistics Park Kansas City,” said Mayor Donald Roberts in the news release. "Amazon's innovative new facility and quality job creation supports and validates the City's continued efforts of creating global routes with local roots. We look forward to having Amazon as a community partner in Edgerton for years to come.”
There's no word yet as to when the center is expected to open or when Amazon will start accepting applications for jobs at the location.
The community weighs in
We talked to Edgerton Mayor Donald Roberts after the announcement.
"I'm excited. Really, I'm pretty speechless with the whole thing, especially with Amazon coming to town. Amazon is recognized worldwide," Roberts said. "It's a tremendous honor to have them choose Edgerton as a spot to land."
When asked about response from citizens, he added, "The town is extremely happy, anxious to see the jobs. Adding jobs helps add the value to the community to attract more citizens."
The city gave Amazon a $1.8 million incentive from its public infrastructure fund after a grant in the same amount from the Kansas Department of Transportation. No tax money was used. Each of the companies in the industrial park have a 10-year tax abatement as well. With that, about $220,000 thousand per year will go toward Edgerton's general fund. Once those abatements expire, the city could more than double its $1.2 million operating budget.
There are 680 households in the city of Edgerton. It would take 1 1/2 people per household to fill all of the jobs Amazon is bringing with its distribution center.
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Dia Wall can be reached at dia.wall@kshb.com.
