Amazon cut the ribbon on its new Elkhart fulfillment center Wednesday.
The 800,000-square-foot facility has been operating for about a month. Inside, robots push along shelves of items, while bins move overhead on miles of conveyor belts.
"There are hundreds of [robots] on each floor," said Amazon site leader Bhautik Motiwala. "Each of these robots weigh 320 pounds themselves, and they can carry up to 750 pounds.”
He said the robots don’t replace human workers – but improve their efficiency. “We do not have our employees lifting or transporting any material," Motiwala explained. "Robots do the job for them. Robots bring the shelf to the employees. Employees do not go to the shelf.”
The Elkhart fulfillment center has 1,400 full-time employees. U.S. Representative Rudy Yakym (R-Granger) said that’s a big opportunity for young people looking for work.
"Not every kid is wired to go from high school straight to college," Yakym said. "Some people want to go straight into the workforce, and facilities like this certainly provide that opportunity."
But there are also opportunities for those who do want to pursue college through Amazon’s tuition support program. Ivy Tech Vice Chancellor Amber Ruszkowski said it’s proven successful throughout Indiana.
“Since this partnership began, over 500 Amazon team members have completed certificates of degrees through the Achieve Your Degree program, a true demonstration of Amazon’s investment in its people,” Ruszkowski said.
She said Amazon also opens up opportunities for current Ivy Tech students, by giving them the chance to connect to a global company.
But Amazon says its impact will go beyond its employees. It says area businesses will also benefit, by making it easier for them to reach potential customers.
Governor Mike Braun said Indiana’s location is a major advantage. “We’re the center of commerce, our state, because we can reach so many places,” he said.
The governor noted that the Elkhart fulfillment center is Amazon’s 37th facility in Indiana. "I mean, that is a lot of commitment," Braun said. "That’s a lot of investment. That’s a lot of assessed value that’s coming into our state."
The fulfillment center's development comes at a time when local governments are seeing tighter budgets, due to Indiana’s property and income tax reform. Elkhart Mayor Rod Roberson said the facility doesn’t pay taxes directly to the city, since it’s located outside the city limits, but he does expect a ripple effect on the city’s finances. “It’s the tax base around it that comes in because the employees, whether they’re coming from four or five counties over to work every day, they want to live here,” Roberson told reporters.
Amazon also says it’s committed to responding to the community’s needs. Community engagement lead Sarah Glavin presented a $25,000 dollar grant to the local youth outreach organization Five Star Life.
“They are really innovating, thinking about ways to create opportunity for young people, to come into their leadership, to really think about the ways that their mental health can serve them as they grow and develop,” Glavin said.
She said Amazon wanted to do something meaningful to mark the new facility’s opening.
