ST. PETERS, Mo. — An Amazon fulfillment center will bring more than 1,500 jobs to St. Charles County, the company announced Wednesday.
The fulfillment center, which will be the first Amazon facility in Missouri, will bring thousands of full-time jobs with benefits at the more than 800,000 square foot location. Employees will pick, pack and ship items to customers, as well as interact with innovative technology alongside Amazon Robotics, an assistant used to help fulfill orders.
The center is expected to be operational by May 1, 2019.
The new facility will be located at 370 Business Park near Interstate 370.
Full-time employees at the new facility will receive "highly competitive" hourly wages and a "comprehensive" benefits package which includes health and disability insurance, 401(k) and company stock awards starting on the first day of operations. Amazon will also offer employees up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave to help care for their families.
“We’re excited to continue growing our team with our first, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Missouri,” said Sanjay Shah, Amazon’s Vice President of North America Customer Fulfillment in a statement. “Our ability to expand in Missouri is the result of two things: incredible customers and an outstanding workforce. Amazon is committed to providing great opportunities for employment and creating a positive economic impact for the region.”
The City of St. Peters welcomes the news.
"We’re dealing with additional restaurants, St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano said. "We’re dealing with a domino effect that is affecting Amazon— the needs. It could be gas stations. It could be residents.”
“We are pleased that Amazon has chosen the City of St. Peters as the site for its new fulfillment center,” said St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann in a statement. “This is a major investment that reflects the growing shift to e-commerce and will add more than 1,500 new, full-time jobs in St. Charles County. Amazon’s decision is just one more indication that St. Charles County is being recognized as an exceptional place to live, work and do business.”
Currently, Amazon operates a sortation center in Hazelwood. There was no date given for the start of construction.
A similar facility opened in Edwardsville in August of 2016. That fulfillment center employs 2,400 people. The Director of Economic Development for Edwardsville, Walt Williams, said their property taxes have not seen a boost nor have their schools benefited from the facility. He said it’s because many workers travel more than an hour to get to work so they’re not living in Edwardsville.
For more information on working at an Amazon fulfillment center, visit them online.
Statement from Claire McCaskill
“Another global company is recognizing what we in Missouri already know—this is a great place for business and home to a skilled and talented workforce. I’m thrilled Missouri continues to be at the center of innovation and job creation in today’s economy.”
Gov. Greitens' statement
“I just wanted to take a quick moment to share some really good news and that is that Amazon is investing in Missouri. They’re coming to St. Peters, Missouri, making an investment of $175 million that’s going to lead to 1,500 jobs—1,500 quality, full-time jobs right here in the state of Missouri.
People are going to be involved in packing and shipping products all over the world. There’s opportunities for training in robotics and engineering, and I want to say I’m proud of the whole team. The whole team has been working so hard to deliver on our commitment to bring more jobs and higher pay to the people of the State of Missouri and let everyone around the country and around the world know that Missouri is open for business. And folks, Missouri is competing again and we’re winning jobs.”
