Amazon, which already has 13 gigantic distribution facilities around the Inland Empire, is adding yet another, this time in Beaumont.
The online retailer announced the 640,00-square-foot facility on Friday, according to the Press Enterprise. The facility will be located near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Highway 60.
Construction began a few weeks ago on the industrial park and things are expected to be completed by next summer. Amazon says the facility will lead to the hiring more than 1,000 people to full-time jobs.
Here’s the full press release (via Business Wire):
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) announced today plans that it would continue innovating in the Inland Empire with a new fulfillment center in Beaumont, which will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs. This facility will join Amazon’s other Inland Empire fulfillment facilities in Eastvale, Moreno Valley, Redlands, Rialto, Riverside and San Bernardino, where the company launched its first California fulfillment center in 2012.
“The Inland Empire has been a great place to do business: serve customers, create jobs, and raise the bar on innovative technologies,” said Mark Stewart, Vice President of Amazon’s North America Operations. “Since we started fulfilling customer orders six years ago in San Bernardino, we’ve been able to build up an amazing team of dedicated associates who now earn at least $15 an hour and receive industry-leading benefits on their first day of employment. We’re excited to now be part of the Beaumont community and grow our team there.”
Amazon has created more than 39,000 jobs in California and since 2011, invested over $19 billion in the state, including infrastructure and compensation to its employees. The company estimates that its direct investments in California contributed an additional $15 billion to the state’s economy from 2011-2017 and generated an additional 50,000 indirect jobs on top of the company’s direct hires. There are also more than 175,000 small and medium-sized businesses in California selling on Amazon. Learn more about Amazon’s investment in Southern California on our blog.
“Amazon is the largest employer in the Inland Empire. I am pleased to announce that Amazon has chosen Beaumont and will be opening a four-story, 640,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the Beaumont industrial business park at the merge of Interstate 10 and State Route 60 freeways,” said Beaumont Mayor Nancy Carroll. “Each Amazon facility opens opportunities for jobs, many involving cutting-edge technology. This facility will provide direct employment opportunities in the San Gorgonio Pass region and additional indirect jobs and commerce for local small businesses servicing the needs of the new workforce and the facility.”
Employees at the 640,000-square-foot fulfillment center will pick, pack and ship items to customers such as books, small electronics, school supplies and home goods.
So far this year, Amazon has created tens of thousands of new full-time roles in its U.S. fulfillment and customer service centers. On top of Amazon’s $15 minimum wage, the company offers full-time employees industry-leading benefits which include comprehensive healthcare on day one, 401(k) with 50 percent match, up to 20 weeks paid parental leave and Amazon’s innovative Career Choice program, which pre-pays 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand fields. Since the program’s launch four years ago, more than 16,000 employees in 10 countries have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.
