Amazon on Thursday cut the ribbon to not only its newest fulfillment center, but the first of its kind in Utah.
The sub same-day fulfillment center in Salt Lake City will give Amazon customers the option to order certain items for rapid delivery — from click to their doorstep in as fast as five hours.
Since Amazon launched the service more than a year ago, Prime members in more than a dozen cities are able to order from a wide selection of up to 3 million items, including baby, beauty and health, kitchen, electronics, pet supplies and more, according to the online retail giant, which celebrated its local expansion with the ribbon-cutting on Thursday.
"With this being the first-of-its-kind building, the technology and innovation we're leveraging is simply remarkable and it's really the key of what continues to make us a leading-edge company and why we're bringing yet another new service to our community," said Steve Volk, site leader at the new fulfillment center.
The 150,000-square-foot center, located at 6338 W. 700 North, aims to employ 250 part-time and full-time positions with starting pay at $15.50 per hour, including benefits. Amazon employees can also participate in the company's Career Choice Program, "to develop our associates for an opportunity for a different career," said Volk. He said Amazon will pay tuition costs for employees as they "pursue another dream."
He said that since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $2 billion in salaries and real estate in Salt Lake City, and now, 8,000 jobs.
"The ability for us to do this and open this facility and create these jobs can't be accomplished without strong community support," Volk said, adding that Amazon is committed to investing in Salt Lake City, but not just in terms of jobs and services, as the company donated $10,000 to the local Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salt Lake City.
"When partners like Amazon come together to support our future leaders (in the Boys and Girls Club) we can really make a difference," Anne Marie Bitter, director of advancement at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake said on Thursday.
