Your Amazon package might come from a little closer to home.
The e-commerce and tech giant is opening a facility in eastern Florence County where employees will help sort and deliver packages. It’s an $18-million project near Interstate 95 and Buc-ee’s.
“With Amazon being a household name, it is an ideal fit for our area,” Florence County Council Chair William Schofield said. “Their investment will create jobs, diversify opportunities and expand delivery services for our residents and visitors. We’re thrilled about their commitment to establishing a facility in our county and warmly welcome them to the Florence community.”
Florence County Economic Development Chief Executive Officer Gregg Robinson said Amazon chose Florence as its new site due to its proximity to Interstates 95 and 20. The company is moving into an existing 117,000 square foot facility in a new industrial park, Pee Dee Commerce City West.
Construction is finishing up now, though it’s not clear when the building will officially open, Robinson said.
This is the latest company to announce plans for large projects in eastern Florence County, joining the $3.2 billion electric vehicle battery plant and a proposed electric vehicle battery recycling facility that will generate more than $150 million in economic activity.
“We’re excited to have them for name recognition, and again, it’s just proof in the pudding that we have the locational advantages to be successful,” Robinson said.
So-called last-mile facilities are the final stops in Amazon’s transportation network before packages are delivered to customers’ doorsteps, according to a press release. Employees sort packages and Amazon delivery partners transport the many goods.
Robinson said the company is not disclosing the number of jobs the investment will create.
Amazon will move into the facility in Pee Dee Commerce City West and anchor the new 180-acre industrial park built by the county, Robinson said.
Marlboro Pee Dee Electric, Marlboro Development Team, Florence County and the city of Florence all collaborated to construct the park and the facility Amazon will use, according to the press release.
The industrial park is in a growing part of Florence County near Buc-ee’s, the new electric vehicle battery plant and a host of established businesses like Ruiz Foods and Pepsi Cola of Florence.
Amazon has fulfillment centers and delivery stations across South Carolina, including in Columbia, Charleston and North Myrtle Beach, according to a press release.
“South Carolina is a great place to live and work, and we’re excited to be growing our operations footprint in northeast South Carolina,” Amazon Economic Development Manager Sam Blatt said in the press release.
Hourly employees earn an average pay of over $22 per hour across Amazon’s customer fulfillment and transportation networks in the U.S.
Since 2010, Amazon has created more than 6,500 full- and part-time jobs in South Carolina and invested $7.2 billion across the state, according to a press release. These investments have contributed an additional $7.4 billion to the South Carolina economy and have helped create 7,000 indirect jobs on top of Amazon’s direct hires in the state.
“We’re grateful for our partnership with Florence County and the Florence County Economic Development Partnership to launch Amazon’s first facility in the area, and we look forward to creating good jobs for the community and better serving our customers,” Blatt said.
To learn more about working at an Amazon fulfillment center, visit www.amazondelivers.jobs.
