Amazon opens first fulfillment center in South Dakota

By

Robin Driver

Published
Dec 21, 2020

American e-commerce giant Amazon.com, Inc. announced on Friday that it will open its first South Dakota fulfillment center in Sioux Falls in 2022, bringing 1,000 full-time jobs to the region.

 
Measuring 640,000 square feet, the new fulfillment center will be located in the Foundation Park industrial park. At the facility, employees will work to pack and ship small items including books, electronics and toys.
 
As well as competitive pay and comprehensive benefits, employees at the fulfillment center will have access to Amazon’s professional programs, including Career Choice, through which the company will pay up to 95% of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields.

To date, 25,000 Amazon employees around the world have benefitted from the program to pursue a wide range of qualifications.
 
Between 2010 and 2019, Amazon invested over $1 million in South Dakota, a figure which includes investments in infrastructure and employee compensation. According to the company, these investments contributed more than $469,000 to the state’s GDP during this period.
 
More than 3,000 small and medium sized businesses in South Dakota use the platform’s Fulfillment by Amazon offering to distribute their products.
 
“We are thrilled to be opening our first fulfillment center in the great state of South Dakota and bringing 1,000 full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and benefits to Sioux Falls,” said Amazon VP of global customer fulfillment Alicia Boler Davis in a release.
 
“Amazon leverages its scale for good and makes investments to support communities,” she added. “We appreciate the strong support from local and state leaders throughout the process, and we look forward to supporting the South Dakota community with great delivery options.”
 
Amazon currently operates over 110 fulfillment centers in the U.S. and more than 185 worldwide.