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One thousand full-time jobs will be coming to Aurora this holiday season, when the first Amazon fulfillment center will open for business. Employees will be paid 30 percent more than “traditional retail jobs and receive comprehensive benefits starting on day one,” Amazon’s vice president of North America Operations, Akash Chauhan, said in a press release. If Amazon is true to its word, workers will receive an impressive list of benefits, including 95 percent pre-paid tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, healthcare, a 401(k), and company stock awards.
No word yet on if employees will get a free subscription to Amazon Prime, but shoppers in the Denver area can expect to have a vastly different buying experience once the fulfillment center is up and running. “Amazon’s next goal is 30-minute delivery, which is a real threat to the convenience physical stores offer,” Jon Nordmark, co-founder of Iterate.ai, a local company that works to connect tech-startups with retailers , told the Denver Post. “This Aurora-based warehouse is one step closer to making that a reality. High-velocity items are likely to be staged there for shoppers throughout the Denver metropolitan area. Amazon will drive to your doorstep.”
In June 2016, Amazon opened Colorado’s first sortation center, which employed hundreds of associates in Aurora. That center will remain open as the tech-giant stakes its claim to a massive swath Aurora land.
“Today’s announcement from Amazon is another vote of confidence for our economic development efforts in Colorado,” Wendy Mitchell, president and CEO of the Aurora Economic Development Council, stated in a press release announcing the fulfillment center. “The City of Aurora’s expedited permitting process was key to this project. I’m thrilled Amazon has chosen to expand its operations here and I am grateful to have Amazon as a corporate partner who is committed to providing our talented workforce with quality jobs.”