Amazon has formidable familiarity with Delaware, as it was the site of their first fulfillment center that was first constructed in 1997. In 2020, Amazon announced plans to build their third fulfillment center in the First State, on the site of an old General Motors assembly plant in Wilmington that had been closed for nearly 10 years. The other fulfillment centers are located in New Castle and Middletown.

What Are the Details of the Project?

Amazon has not announced full details of the project as of yet, but the building will be a 5 ½ story complex that will ship out household goods, electronics, toys, books, and other similar items. This will be the largest building to ever be constructed in Delaware and is expected to house 1,000 workers.  The developer is Dermody Properties out of Morristown, New Jersey, with Apex Engineering, Inc. of Newport, Delaware employed as the design firm.  Dermody Properties is listed as the contractors on the project. Harvey, Hanna & Associates completed the demolition in 2019. 

Why Is This Project Important?

In February 2020, the state of Delaware paid Amazon $4.5 million in an up-front grant to move to the site in order to bring more jobs to the state, While the plant will rely heavily on robotics, it plans to bring 1,000 jobs to the area by the 2021 holiday season. During the hearing for the grant, Amazon officials testified under oath that they would pay entry-level workers $15 per hour and managerial staff $32 per hour. All workers will also receive “full medical, vision, and dental insurance” in addition to a 401(k) plan, which Amazon pledged a 50 percent company match as well as tuition aid. 

Completion of construction is anticipated by Summer 2021, with employment anticipated before the 2021 holiday season begins.

For more information on this project and others, visit the CIS Leads website today.