BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Amazon is expanding its footprint in Louisiana with a new fulfillment center that will employ 500 people, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday.
The online retailer will spend $100 million to set up the operation in the city of Carencro at the former Evangeline Downs horse racing track. Workers at the center will pick, pack and ship bulky or large items such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment and rugs, according to a news release from Edwards’ office.
“You don’t become the world’s largest online retailer without making a series of well-reasoned strategic investments, and Amazon’s selection of Carencro for its new fulfillment center is a testament to this,” Edwards said, adding that the project would lead to other jobs in the area.
Amazon has already invested more than $250 million in Louisiana since 2018 through its seven Whole Foods Markets and Amazon delivery stations in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The company also operates an Amazon Air logistics gateway at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
“We are grateful for the strong support we’ve received from local and state leaders as we expand our footprint in Louisiana,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment.
Carencro Mayor Glenn Brasseaux said the facility’s impact on the economy “cannot be overstated in terms of capital investment, job creation with respectable wages and benefits, and the increased interest in residential housing development.”
To secure the project, the state offered Amazon a competitive incentive package. The company also will be eligible for a performance-based grant of $3 million, payable over two years, to offset facility infrastructure costs.
Amazon expects to complete the center’s construction by the end of 2021 and to start hiring one to three months before it opens.
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