Governor Laura Kelly today celebrated the announcement of two new Amazon fulfillment centers in Kansas City, KS and Park City. Each site will contain a new one million square-foot fulfillment center, and in total, will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs, starting at a minimum of $15 an hour.
“Today’s Amazon announcement further proves why Kansas can offer prospective businesses the kind of workforce, infrastructure, and central location that can compete with anywhere in the country,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This project will bring more than 1,000 good-paying jobs and significant capital investment to our state and sends a clear message to prospective companies – Kansas is open for business.”
Governor Kelly joined Secretary of Commerce David Toland, Senator Jerry Moran, Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, Park City Mayor Ray Mann, Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas David Alvey, Chairman Pete Meitzner from the Sedgwick County Commission and Amazon’s Mark Marzano for a Zoom call to announce the news on Friday.
“This truly is an exciting day for Kansas, as we celebrate a tremendous economic development win for our state,” Secretary David Toland said. “Even for a huge company like Amazon, announcing two facilities in one day is extraordinary.”
“We’re excited to continue our growth and investment across Kansas so we can better serve our customers throughout the state,” Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment said. “We are grateful for the strong support we’ve received from local and state leaders, and we look forward to ingraining ourselves in the communities in which we serve.”
“Amazon’s continued investment in our community with this second facility reinforces the benefit of Wyandotte County’s central Midwest location and access to a quality dependable workforce,” KCK Mayor David Alvey said. “This new $110 million center will create 750+ new jobs for local workers, providing added growth and development that will allow our community to rebound quicker from the pandemic’s economic effects. Moreover, this facility will generate new revenue immediately, allowing us to maintain and improve local services in neighborhoods throughout our entire community.”
“Park City is excited and honored to have a leading business and household name such as Amazon locate here because their team recognized that our community offers a business-friendly environment in a prime location,” Park City Mayor Ray Mann said. “Park City looks forward to working with Amazon and the tremendous economic benefits and employment opportunities it brings. While 2020 hasn’t always brought the best news, this announcement makes today a great day for Park City, Sedgwick County and our region, and Kansas.”
“We are thrilled for Amazon’s significant investment in the Greater Wichita region and for the many, many new jobs and opportunities that they bring with them,” Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple said. “Their partnership with the community is testament to the exceptional regional cooperation and thoughtful planning in developing the right infrastructure to attract this investment. We look forward to this announcement being a spur for even greater investments and job growth in Wichita and across our region.”
“This partnership with Amazon will bring more than a thousand new, quality jobs to Kansas, and I have no doubt Amazon will greatly benefit from the talented workforce available in Kansas City, Park City and Wichita,” U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said. “I recently visited Amazon’s current facility in Kansas City to see their operation first-hand, and I am pleased to see companies like Amazon continue to bring jobs to Kansas, opening up new opportunities for further economic growth and expansion.”
“Amazon – one of the top companies in the world – chose to have a presence in Kansas,” Chairman Pete Meitzner said. “What a great win for our state and for the south-central Kansas region! We look forward to our continued collaboration and partnership with the State of Kansas and Sedgwick County stakeholders as we continue to invest in economic development.
“We are proud to welcome Amazon to the Greater Wichita region where we know they will join other great companies and brands that are positioned for continued growth and innovation because of the region’s world-class workforce, transportation infrastructure and central geographic location,” President of Greater Wichita Partnership Jeff Fluhr said. “The Greater Wichita region greatly appreciates the critical role that Governor Kelly and the Kansas Department of Commerce played in securing these jobs for Kansas and the essential role the state plays with all local partners.”
The announcement of two major facilities in the same state on the same day signifies that Amazon recognizes the advantages that come with doing business in Kansas.