CANTON, Ohio — Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted announced Tuesday the world's largest internet-based retailer, Amazon, will be opening a 1 million square-foot fulfillment center in Stark County next year.
The center will be at 3550 Columbus Rd. NE in Canton. DeWine said the center will provide 1,000 jobs to the area with starting at $18 an hour with comprehensive health benefits, paid time off and up to 20 weeks fully paid parental leave.
“Amazon has been a strong partner in Ohio, investing billions in cloud data centers, advanced distribution facilities, air service infrastructure, and more while creating over 41,000 jobs that provide healthcare and tuition assistance,” said DeWine in a press release. “We look forward to working with Amazon as it continues to demonstrate its confidence in Ohio’s value proposition, premier location, and outstanding talent.”
According to DeWine's office, Amazon has invested more than $12 billion in Ohio from 2010 until 2020 while creating more than 41,000 jobs. In northeast Ohio alone, there are Amazon fulfillment centers in Euclid, Akron and North Randall that have created more than 5,000 new jobs and invested more than $3 billion since 2010.
“We’re excited to be expanding our network to better serve our customers in northeast Ohio,” said Travis Dorion, regional director of operations at Amazon, in a press release. “We’re grateful for the continued support we’ve received from state and local leaders as we bring 1,000 good jobs to Canton and contribute to the community through sustainability initiatives and philanthropic partnerships.”
DeWine said partners including the city of Canton, Stark Economic Development Board, Stark County Commissioners, Team NEO and JobsOhio worked collaboratively with Amazon leadership to secure the highly competitive project.
“We are thrilled to welcome Amazon to the city of Canton," said Thomas Bernabei, mayor of Canton, in a press release. "We are excited for the many jobs this project will bring, including long term employment for the company and construction jobs for local companies and unions during the very large construction phase. This is the single-largest employer we have brought to the city of Canton in many decades. We look forward to a strong and lasting relationship with Amazon for years to come.”
As of December 2020, Amazon was listed by the state as the ninth largest employer in Ohio.