Amazon opening a new Florida fulfillment center with promise of 500 new jobs
Amazon announced Thursday it plans to open a new, one-million-square-foot fulfillment center in Deltona, near Orlando, with the promise that it will create 500 new jobs.
The Central Florida facility comes two years after its 850,000-square-foot Opa-locka fulfillment center came online. Amazon says there are more than 139,000 authors, small and medium-sized businesses, and developers in Florida growing their companies and reaching new customers on Amazon products and services. A majority of these third-party sellers live in South Florida.
The new facility will specialize in shipping larger items like sports equipment, patio furniture, fishing rods, pet food, kayaks, bicycles, and larger household goods. The Opa-locka facility specializes in small- to mid-size items.
Amazon says it has created more than 13,500 full-time jobs in Florida since first launching fulfillment operations in the Sunshine State in 2013. Currently, it operates facilities in the Miami-Dade, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville metro areas.
“Amazon is proving that by investing in modern supply chains, consumers are well-served, environmental impacts are minimized, and infrastructure is best utilized,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement.
Amazon says base pay for the new jobs would start at $15 an hour, with comprehensive benefits including medical, vision, and dental insurance, plus paid parental leave. The company did not announce an opening date for the new center.
Recent news reports have characterized the pace of work at Amazon warehouse facilities as “intense.” In statements, Amazon says the safety of its workers remains its top priority.
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 11:22 AM.
