Amazon announced on July 22 that it would build two new facilities in Ohio, adding that it planned to hire more than 2,500 people.
One fulfillment center will be in Akron; the other will be in Rossford.
The fulfillment centers will both be more than 700,000 square feet and used to store items such as books, electronics, and toys. Employees sort the items and ship them out when they're ordered online.
“We're excited to grow our team in the Buckeye state, which now includes more than 8,500 Amazonians, and be part of the larger Ohio community.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine added in a statement, “Amazon continues to demonstrate confidence in the great workforce and e-commerce business climate we have in Ohio."
Amazon noted in a press release that the company offers a $15 minimum wage. Full-time employees also get a number of benefits such as full insurance, a 401(k), and maternal and parental leave.
The mayors of Akron and Rossford also celebrated the move.
“We are excited to have Amazon build on to its already strong business relationship with Ohio by selecting the City of Akron for its new facility,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan in a statement. “Once completed, this fulfillment center will provide even more opportunities for good jobs to people seeking employment in and around Akron.”
“Rossford is home to an increasingly diverse business community, we are thrilled that Amazon will be joining those ranks by locating its new fulfillment center here,” said Rossford Mayor Neil MacKinnon III.
”We welcome Amazon as our new neighbor and look forward to the job creation Amazon will bring for members of our community and the surrounding areas.”
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The site in Akron will be at the former Rolling Acres Mall site, reported the Akron Beacon Journal. The mall was demolished after the city acquired it through foreclosure.The two sites will be the seventh and eighth fulfillment centers for Amazon in Ohio.
Some officials said the Akron facility could be up and running by Christmas in 2020.
To entice Amazon to the area, the city agreed to a 30-year tax rebate for the company, according to the Beacon Journal, which reported, "The city would divert future taxes on the improved property into a special fund, out of which Amazon would be reimbursed the more than $17 million paid to buy the land plus any acquisition and demolition costs."
“They started a week ago Monday. They were ready to go immediately, according to the stuff I was told by people associated with the project. That they wanted to start just on or before July 1,” MacKinnon, the Rossford mayor, told the outlet.
He said the warehouse was expected to open by October 2020.