FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – “This is the game changer for the City of Fresno,” said Mayor Lee Brand, at the groundbreaking of the new 850,000-square foot facility, due to open in 2018 in southwest Fresno. “This starts to change the narrative of Fresno. Fresno is successful. Bringing 1500 jobs to Fresno is an amazing feat.”
The facility will be what’s called an Amazon Robotics Center – which officials say means it can hold more inventory than a traditional warehouse. It will help the company better move inventory to Amazon Prime members, specifically on the west coast.
Amazon west coast Operations Director Kelvin Downs says there’s a few factors that played into why the central valley was picked. “When you start building up in an area you look at two things – you want to maximize your Prime membership and you want to make sure you’ve got a good associate workforce that can raise the bar in operational excellence. And that’s why it’s a great fit for Fresno.
Several local officials were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony, including former Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who was in office when in the early stages of bringing Amazon to Fresno.
