Photo: Kelli Pierce
SALT LAKE CITY — Internet retail giant Amazon has officially opened its first fulfillment center in Utah in northwest Salt Lake City.
The 855,000 square foot site is fully automated with robots helping do some of the sorting.
As part of the more than $5 million tax incentive package it got from the state in 2017, the online retailer has hired 1,500 workers to operate the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Starting pay is $15 an hour with benefits.
The fulfillment center has been operating in a limited capacity since last August.
Governor Gary Herbert, Senator Mike Lee, and Congressman Chris Stewart, who represents the area where the fulfillment center is located, were on hand Wednesday to take a tour with Amazon representatives.
“We’re gonna see online fulfillment becoming an increasingly big part of our economy, and the fact that Amazon chose to put this facility here is something that makes me very happy,” Senator Lee said after the tour.
The center will not be fulfilling same-day delivery orders just yet.
More Utah businesses sell on Amazon.com than any other state per capita.