While construction is underway on Amazon’s $325 million fulfillment center in Bessemer, the internet retailer is already operating in the city of Birmingham.
Amazon has opened an 18,000-square-foot sortation center in north Birmingham, according to the Birmingham Business Alliance. The facility, operated by Amazon Logistics, employs 35 to 40 full and part-time workers.
The Birmingham Business Alliance and Amazon declined to release the exact location of the sortation center.
Amazon Logistics manages the company’s “last mile” delivery services from fulfillment centers to homes and offices and will be introducing the company’s Delivery Service Partner and Flex programs to the Birmingham area, said Birmingham Business Alliance’s Vice President of Economic Development Jeff Traywick.
“This is an extension of Amazon’s investment in Bessemer and will operate as a second long-term facility in our area,” he said. “Amazon is bullish on Birmingham and they sought to find a solution that would get their services into the area by fourth quarter 2018. The Birmingham facility meets their short-term needs while they ramp up their delivery services in the region, and they expect to expand this operation within the next two years.”
In addition to Amazon employees at this facility, contract delivery drivers also operate out of the Birmingham site. These drivers deliver Amazon packages via Mercedes-Benz sprinter vans, which are emblazoned with Amazon’s Prime logo.
Amazon announced in September that it would purchase 20,000 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans to use in this new delivery initiative, which allows entrepreneurs to start small businesses to deliver its packages.
These new small businesses will be able to hire up to 100 delivery drivers, handle logistics and sell their delivery services to Amazon.
“Amazon also worked closely with the city’s department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity to ensure this facility could be completed in the time necessary by ensuring the permitting process flowed as smoothly as possible,” Traywick said.
The Bessemer fulfillment center, comprising 855,000 square feet on 133 acres on Powder Plant Road, will support 1,500 jobs. Those numbers don’t include jobs from the 2,200 contractors doing work at the site. The site was owned by U.S. Steel until June, when the company sold the property to Amazon.