Amazon recently celebrated the grand opening of its robotics fulfillment center in Opa-locka with local community leaders and elected officials.
The more than 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center opened in September 2018 and employs more than 1,500 full-time, full-benefit associates who pick, pack and ship smaller customer items such as books, electronics, and toys.
Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart and Miami-Dade Deputy Mayor Maurice L. Kemp were among those who gathered to mark the occasion. Amazon also hosted Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade president Alex Rodriguez-Roig along with excited kids from the Northwest Miami Club who were surprised with a $10,000 donation to update the club’s computer lab and facilitate STEM learning.
“We’re extremely excited and humbled by Amazon’s support of the club,” Rodriguez-Roig said. “We plan on using the donation to renovate the computer lab and continue providing tech resources to kids. After today’s tour, I know our kids are more inspired than ever.”
Regarding the donation, Lt. Gov. Nuñez also commented, “Amazon is not only a great corporate partner, but it is also a great community partner.”
Amazon Opa-locka director of operations Claudio Innocente thanked invited guests and his team of Amazonians for their support before kicking off a behind-the-scenes tour of the fulfillment center. Innocente pointed out how Opa-locka Amazonians play an integral role in picking, packing and shipping customer orders across Florida and the region and gave a glimpse at the robotics technology they utilize.
“Amazon has created more than 13,000 full-time jobs for people with all types of experience, education and skill levels across Florida,” Innocente said. “For us, an Amazon presence in Opa-locka means more than just the jobs provided within these four walls. We will continue to invest in the community and look forward to working side-by-side with organizations like Boys & Girls Club to do so. Providing young people with the opportunity to learn skills in high-demand STEM careers is critical to developing the innovators of tomorrow.”
In addition to competitive wages starting at $15 an hour minimum, full‐time Amazon employees are eligible for comprehensive benefits starting on Day One including health, vision and dental insurance, 401(k) with a 50 percent match and a network of support to help employees succeed. Amazon also offers regular full-time employees maternity and paternity leave benefits and access to innovative programs like Career Choice, where Amazon will pre-pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
“My hope for Florida is for all communities to flourish and for companies to be able to contribute to their towns and neighbors,” Lt. Gov. Nuñez said.
Anyone who wants to see what happens after clicking “buy” on Amazon can sign up for a free tour of the Opa-locka fulfillment center at www.amazon.com/fctours. Tours are offered daily with new tour availability added at the beginning of each month.
