Amazon Cuts the Ribbon on its Biggest New England Fulfillment Center
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Amazon inaugurated its largest facility in New England, which will create thousands of jobs, according to the e-commerce giant.
The Seattle tech titan officially opened the 3.8 million square-foot Windsor, Conn. fulfillment center this month alongside the Governnor Ned Lamont, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and other state and local elected officials. Amazon has been hiring employees for the facility, which also houses state-of-the-art robotics technology, since last fall. The opening adds to a statewide Amazon facility network that supports 15,000 full- and part-time employees.
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“I am thrilled Amazon is investing further into the great state of Connecticut with the opening of its new fulfillment center in Windsor,” Lamont said. “This fulfillment center is adding more than 2,000 well-paid jobs with excellent benefits into the Greater Hartford economy, and I look forward to the impact it will have on the region and state for years to come.”
Bysiewicz noted that the facility will “deliver innovation and next-generation jobs to the Windsor area” while enhancing the customer experience. “Beyond its creation of good-paying, in-demand jobs, Amazon is committed to investing in and volunteering for local organizations and nonprofits, ensuring that not just their business, but the entire community thrives,” she added.
Employees began picking, packing and shipping orders of books, electronics, household goods and toys in November, according to the facility’s general manager, Gurol Butun. The robotic fulfillment center will increase delivery speed and efficiency, and the team has also engaged with projects and organizations within the community. “It’s a privilege to lead this team and create a safe, engaging, and fun workplace that allows our employees to flourish,” Butun said.
Amazon also announced a $10,000 donation to youth innovators including those from Windsor High School and the surrounding area. The investment will support Team Paragon 571, an arm of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) international youth organization, which operates its own robotics competition. Team president Brian Abbot said the funding would support science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
Over the past 13 years, Amazon said it has invested more than $6 billion in Connecticut, adding $5.5 billion to the state economy. It said “highly competitive” wages start at $19 per hour, and benefits effective on the first day of employment. A search of Amazon fulfillment center positions on job boards indicates that most roles pay up to $19.40 per hour, with potential $3,000 signing bonuses.
Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy recently said the company expects to see its fastest ever delivery speeds this year, with over 26 million shoppers ordering items for same-day delivery last quarter—up 50 percent from the same period in 2022.
As a result, the company has been “re-architecting our placement approach and larger fulfillment center footprint to move from a national fulfillment network in the U.S. to a regional one,” he said in an earnings call last month. “It means we’ve created each interconnected region in geographic areas with each of these regions having broad relevant selection to operate in a largely self-sufficient way, while still being able to ship nationally when necessary.”
