Pittsburgh may have failed in its bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, but it is receiving a consolation prize of sorts.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday that Amazon will open a non-sortable fulfillment center near Pittsburgh International Airport in Findlay. Amazon has committed to investing more than $30 million in the project, which calls for the creation of 800 full-time jobs offering a starting wage of $15 per hour.
Amazon said on its website that workers at non-sortable fulfillment centers pick, pack and ship bulky or larger-sized items such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment and rugs.
The company will move into a new 1,000,000-square-foot facility to be built by the Hillwood Group and Chapman Properties.
“It’s a great win any time a business comes in and pledges to create 800 new jobs,” Wolf said. “This is a significant investment for Pennsylvania and I applaud Amazon for selecting our commonwealth as the location for this facility.”
Amazon is receiving $1.6 million in job creation tax credits from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
The Pittsburgh Regional Alliance and Allegheny County also were involved in landing the deal.
“Today’s announcement underscores that Amazon has never taken its eyes off Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Regional Alliance President Mark A. Thomas said.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said Amazon’s decision also reflects the company’s continued confidence in the county’s economy.
“This is great news for our region,” Fitzgerald said.
Amazon currently employs nearly 10,000 full-time employees across Pennsylvania. Its main investments include 14 fullfillment and sortation centers, and one tech hub.
Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $8.5 billion in the state, according to a news release from the governor’s office.
