Amazon to Open Two Fulfillment Centers in New Jersey; Create Hundreds of Jobs

It was announced on Tuesday by Amazon that the company plans to build a one-million-square-foot facility in Mercer County, New Jersey. The facility is going to employ hundreds of people, according to The Burlington County Times and The Times of Trenton. The facility will be built in Robbinsville Township and will be a fulfillment center, the first in the state for Amazon.

“Phase one of Amazon’s new state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Robbinsville will spur growth and investment for the Garden State and our local economies while bringing meaningful job creation opportunities for New Jersey’s families,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said in a statement. “Amazon’s multimillion-dollar investment in this one facility alone is expected to result in the creation of hundreds of full-time jobs in addition to temporary, seasonal and construction jobs.”

The project will come with an investment of over $200 million from Amazon and it should be completed sometime in 2014. The employees who will be working at the facility will be there to pick, pack and ship books, DVDs and other tiny items for customers. The facility will be similar to the one opened by Amazon in Breinigsville, Lehigh County, back in 2010. The facility is not far from Allentown.

The new facility in Robbinsville gives Amazon easy access to major highways in New Jersey. The facility will be minutes from the New Jersey Turnpike, I-295, I-195, Route 130 and Route 33.

“We understand Amazon could have chosen anywhere in New Jersey to build its new distribution center, and we are fortunate to have the infrastructure and resources to meet their needs and consummate one of the most sought-after business partnerships in recent memory,” township Mayor David Fried said in a release.

The facility in Robbinsville will be the first of two fulfillment centers opening in New Jersey for Amazon. Governor Christie first announced this back in May of 2012.

“In real estate, it’s location, location, location,” Mayor Fried said. “We already have a great location, with I-195 and Turnpike access right near each other. You can go north, south, east and west very easily.”

Council President Ron Witt said, “Any sort of long-term commitment from a major source of revenue gives you the foundation and the building blocks to plan for the future. This is a Fortune 500 tenant, a company that’s going to be here for the foreseeable future. Some of your revenue streams become much clearer and more defined now that you know you have a long-term tenant.”

Fried continued, “This is a great thing for our residents because it’s going to drive a significant amount of jobs to the township as well as go a long way to start stabilizing taxes. I look at it as another piece of the puzzle. My goal over the last eight years has been to try to stabilize taxes. We’ve been able to do that by bringing in significant ratables.”