LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Tech and online retail giant Amazon will employ 1,000 individuals at the first fulfillment center in Arkansas, the company announced Tuesday.
Amazon acquired 80 acres (0.32 square kilometers) of land for $3.2 million in the Port of Little Rock in April. Little Rock city officials signed off on the project that same month. The land deal closed in May.
“We’re delighted to be building out our network of operations in Little Rock, Arkansas,” Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, said in a news release. “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.”
Workers at the new facility “will work alongside Amazon robotics to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys,” the company said.
Compensation packages will include wages starting at $15 per hour, full medical, vision and dental insurance, a 401(k) plan with a 50% match, and up to 20 weeks of paid leave for new parents.
“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,” Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said in the release.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.