Amazon currently employs more than 1,500 in Alberta; new facility will create an additional 600 full-time jobs in Leduc County

SEATTLE, Dec. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced plans for a new fulfillment centre in Leduc County, creating more than 600 full-time jobs with opportunities for career training and development by 2020. The 1-million-square-foot customer fulfillment facility will be Amazon's second in Alberta, where it currently employs more than 1,500 full-time associates in Rocky View County.

"Our ability to create over 600 good-paying jobs with great benefits is thanks to the network of support we've received and the skilled workforce in the region," said Glenn Sommerville, Director of Amazon Operations in Canada. "We're grateful for the welcome we've received from government and community leaders and excited by our growth in Alberta and ability to better serve our customers."

Once open, the new facility will be Amazon's 11th fulfillment facility in Canada and joins Amazon's current fulfillment centres in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

"We are working hard to encourage investment, diversification and the creation of more good jobs in Alberta," said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. "Today's announcement by Amazon means hundreds of jobs and more opportunities are on their way, helping to make life better for more Alberta workers and families. I want to congratulate Amazon for once again investing in Alberta and thank everyone who helped to make this investment possible."

Associates at the more than 1,000,000-square-foot facility will pick, pack and ship larger customer items such as outdoor equipment, patio furniture and bicycles. Full-time employees at Amazon receive competitive hourly wages, medical, vision and dental coverage, RRSP contribution matching, stock awards, and performance-based bonuses starting on day one.

"This announcement by Amazon is another vote of confidence in the Edmonton region as an economic hub in Alberta," said Amarjeet Sohi, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Mill Woods and Minister of Natural Resources. "The new centre will spark economic activity and create good-paying jobs in our region. I look forward to construction beginning next year."

Amazon also offers employees access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where it will pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon. Since the program's launch, more than 16,000 employees across the globe have pursued degrees in game design and visual communications, nursing, IT programming and radiology, to name a few.

"It is an absolute pleasure to welcome Amazon to our community," says Tanni Doblanko, Mayor of Leduc County. "We couldn't be more proud that Amazon has selected Leduc County as the location of its newest fulfillment centre in Canada. Amazon's expansion will create well-paying, stable jobs for our citizens and help diversify and strengthen our local economy, the long-term sustainability of our region and our community-at-large. Leduc County is an ideal location for world-class businesses to set up or expand their operations, as evidenced by the fact Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon want to invest here."

"We welcome Amazon's expansion into the Edmonton Metro region," said Don Iveson, Mayor of Edmonton. "This expansion will create more local jobs and contribute to our regional economic prosperity."

The project is being developed by ONE Properties and TD Greystone Asset Management.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

SOURCE Amazon Canada

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