Amazon is building a massive fulfillment center at the Port of Little Rock that will open in in 2021 and employ more than 1,000 people.
“We’re delighted to be building out our network of operations in Little Rock, Arkansas,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “We greatly appreciate the strong support from local and state leaders as we look to open our first fulfillment center and second delivery station in the state of Arkansas. We look forward to creating over a thousand jobs for the Little Rock community, with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.”
“It’s not surprising that Amazon has selected the Port of Little Rock as the newest location for its next project,” Governor Hutchinson said. “Arkansas has a trained workforce and is centrally located with easy access to miles of interstate, rail, and navigable waterways. I am delighted by Amazon’s decision and confident that the Port of Little Rock will be a great fit for the company.”
“This is great timing for Arkansas,” said Danny Games, director of business and economic development for Entergy Arkansas. “From the AEDC to the Little Rock Chamber and port leadership to the city of Little Rock and Pulaski County, there was a coordinated effort to convince Amazon this is where they want to invest in a state-of-the-art distribution center. We’re gratified and excited that they agreed.”
The facility is under construction on an 80-acre site on Zeuber Road. Entergy Arkansas certified the site as a Select Site in October 2019 and developed this marketing video as a tool for recruitment.
In the new 825,000 square-foot fulfillment center, Amazon employees will work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys.
Amazon is currently retrofitting an existing 85,000 square-foot facility on I-30 to serve as a delivery station, which is anticipated to launch in late 2020. Delivery stations power the last mile of Amazon’s order fulfillment process.
“Little Rock welcomes Amazon in Arkansas’ first major investment from the company and is excited to provide new economic opportunities to our residents,” said Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. “The COVID-19 public health crisis has caused deep concern among many Little Rock families as they struggle to stay afloat due to current economic uncertainty. Today’s announcement provides reassurance that Little Rock will rebound and that jobs are on the way. Additionally, Little Rock’s geographical location with river, rail, road, and air access make it ideal to expand Amazon’s distribution throughout the South.”
Amazon Fulfillment Center, Little Rock
“Central Arkansas is quickly becoming a magnet for new economic development, this is due to continued investment in our infrastructure. I’m proud to lead a group of committed partners whose hard work has led to one of the largest companies in the world opening a new center in Pulaski County,” said Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde. “Since we began planning industrial quality road and traffic infrastructure two years ago, we’ve attracted two international companies that are bringing new jobs to central Arkansas in large numbers.”
On top of Amazon’s industry-leading minimum starting wage from $15, the company offers full-time employees comprehensive benefits including full medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as a 401(k) with 50 percent match starting on day one. The company also offers up to 20 weeks of maternal and parental paid leave and innovative benefits such as Leave Share and Ramp Back, which give new parents flexibility with their growing families.
