WILMINGTON — Though Amazon has been up and running in the area since August, the global company celebrated the grand opening of its Highway 421 operations Monday. Located in Pender Commerce Park, at the Pender and New Hanover counties line, state and local leaders and Amazon executives attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and were treated to tours of the facility.
It is Amazon’s first direct-to-consumer fulfillment and delivery facility in Wilmington, bringing 1,000 full-time jobs. It also could help with quicker delivery times for folks in the Wilmington and Myrtle Beach metro areas.
Amazon also launched a nearby delivery station, which employs more than 100 people.
However, the fulfillment facility is one of four nationwide. It utilizes employees who work alongside robotic systems, to improve safety and reduce repetitive tasks. The facility operates the largest integration of AI, robotics, and automation from Amazon to date, reducing processing times up to 25% more than previously and creating 30% more skilled technical roles in reliability, maintenance, and engineering.
The four-and-a-half story, 100-foot building, takes up 3.2 million square feet of floor area for orders to be picked, packed and shipped across the southeast, down to Louisiana. It’s operational 24/7.
Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley, North Carolina Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee, Pender County Commission Chair Randy Burton, New Hanover County Commissioner Chair LeAnn Pierce, and Wilmington Business Development CEO Scott Satterfield attended Monday, among others.
“What you see inside this facility is the future of how we deliver for customers,” Amazon Economic Development Vice President Holly Sullivan said. “But the technology is only part of the story. Behind every robot is a team of employees building careers, learning new skills, and growing with Amazon. We’re grateful to the state and local leaders who helped make this possible, and we’re proud to bring Amazon’s first direct-to-consumer operations to the Cape Fear region.”
At the event, Amazon also announced a $20,000 donation to The Forward Fund organization — helping students enroll, graduate, and attain high-wage employment while helping local employers find the skilled talent they need in the Wilmington area. Last year, Amazon donated more than $10 million to community organizations across the state, supporting local nonprofits, schools, and workforce development programs.
Since 2010, the global company has invested more than $20 billion in North Carolina.
“Amazon is investing in the people, infrastructure, and opportunities that help our state thrive,” Lilley said.
Amazon has helped expand its rural delivery network recently as well in North Carolina, with five new delivery stations in Tarboro, Jacksonville, Southern Pines, Mount Airy, and Hayesville. This added 700 jobs.
Altogether, the company’s multiplier effect has brought more than 20,000 indirect jobs in fields like construction and professional services, adding $20 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, according to the company.
To learn more about working at an Amazon facility, visit www.amazondelivers.jobs.
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