Amazon announced plans to open a second fulfillment center in Joliet, IL, outside Chicago, to complement one opened last year, as it continues to expand its massive network to service 50 million-plus Prime members and marketplace sellers with guaranteed two-day deliveries as well as same-day service.
The new 700,000-square-foot FC will create more than 2,000 full-time jobs, in addition to 1,500 at the existing 500,000-square-foot Joliet facility, its first in the state. Amazon lost a court battle in January 2015 that forced it to start charging sales tax in Illinois, which would have happened anyway when the first facility opened last fall.
“We have found an abundance of talent in Joliet and we are excited to bring a new fulfillment center to the city and create 2,000 great full-time jobs with benefits,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North American operations in a release. “This community and the elected officials throughout the city and state have been very supportive of Amazon and we thank them for helping make this possible.”
Officials in fact have been supportive to the tune of $1.9 million in estimated tax breaks for Amazon as a result of building both facilities in Joliet.
Amazon employees at the new Joliet FC will pick, pack and ship smaller items to customers like books, toys and electronics.
In other DC news, fast-growing Dollar Shave Club plans to build a 180,000-square-foot facility in Columbus, OH that will service two-thirds of its 3 million U.S. customers.
Mike O’Brien is Senior Editor of Multichannel Merchant