North Carolina Welcomes Amazon’s Newest Mega-Warehouse

Amazon officially opened its newest facility in Smithfield, North Carolina. The 620,000-square-foot warehouse, equivalent to the size of 11 football fields, is set to provide 1,000 jobs, with positions starting at $17 per hour. 

The facility serves as an 'inbound cross dock,' facilitating the integration of inventory from small and medium-sized sellers worldwide into the online marketplace.

“This is tremendous for Smithfield. We have been waiting for it for several years,” Mayor Andy Moore told CBS 17. “They have already exceeded their expectations. They initially told us about 500 people.”

During a guided tour led by Eric Arnold, the warehouse General Manager, reporters were shown the journey of a package within the facility. Arnold demonstrated the seamless transition from inbound processing to outbound distribution, noting that the process takes approximately six minutes per item.

Arnold announced that the facility is expected to process over 1 million items daily, with numbers rising to 2.5 million during peak seasons. He also mentioned that the company is actively hiring for various positions, ranging from floor workers to IT and management roles.

“We are absolutely thrilled to see this facility come to fruition after years of hard work by everyone involved,” Moore added. “From day one, Amazon has been a great partner, and we look forward to building that relationship for decades to come.”

The online shopping giant is anticipated to become one of the city’s top employers and taxpayers upon reaching full operational capacity.

As part of the agreement, Amazon received a 7-year tax grant but is required to make a $100 million investment in the plant.

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