Giant E-retailer Amazon.com has confirmed months of speculations that it will open up a new warehouse in Joliet, Illinois — a move that will open 1,000 full-time jobs.
Daily Chronicle reported that Amazon said on Monday that the company was reconstructing in the Laraway Crossings Business Park located at Route 53 and Laraway Road, a 500,000 square-foot warehouse that will fulfill online orders and operate small items, such as electronics, books and consumer goods.
The fresh location in Joliet was part of Amazon's continuing efforts to stake heavily in fulfillment centers across the nation amid the increased demand for shopping online and growing competition both from retailers such as Walmart, eBay and the Internet.
Incoming orders are received from associated locations or stores, processed and then filled in fulfillment centers.
Although no exact date was given on when the warehouse will open, the property owner has suggested that Amazon wanted to be up and about prior to the holidays
President and CEO of the Will County Center for Economic Development, John Greuling, said: "I think a lot of people thought Amazon was taking over the [retail] world, but the reality is e-commerce is still a relatively small percentage of sales. So, companies like Amazon are seeing a tremendous market upside over the next five, 10 years because there's so much incremental growth that they think they can go after."
Aside from creating 1,000 jobs, Amazon has gotten a positive outcome from its warehouse set-up in Joliet - a tax break for about 10 years from the state in a trade for its $40 million investment pledge, as per Chicago Tribune.
Mike Roth, Amazon's vice president of North America operations, said, he was "grateful for the support of local and state leadership in helping to bring Amazon to Illinois."
Amazon advertised a $14.95-an-hour and $13-an-hour work at the fulfillment center.
The firm also stated that it was captivated by Joliet's closeness to the Chicago market and the opportunity of labor in a location that has established to be a leading distribution hub for a number of national retailers.
According to Internet Retailer, Amazon had 183,100 part-time and full-time employees globally as of June 30. An increase of 38.1 percent from that of 2014.
