Amazon boosts its regional investment

Amazon’s newly-opened £500 million state-of-the-art fulfilment centre at Sutton Coldfield is scheduled to increase its current workforce of 1,400 to 2,000 people within three years.

Neil Travis, regional director of Amazon, which is the headline sponsor of this year’s Press Club-organised Midlands Media Students’ Awards, said: “The West Midlands is an important region for Amazon and I am delighted to confirm our commitment with this latest investment.”

He said that the facility would create 400 new jobs this year, taking Amazon’s total workforce in the region to more than 4,000 full and part-time roles and boosting its investment in the West Midlands to more than £3.2 billion since 2010.

The 547,000 sq ft Sutton Coldfield building is the company’s latest generation fulfilment centre featuring three floors of Amazon Robotics.

“Amazon continues to invest in our buildings and innovative technology to provide our people with some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, ensuring their wellbeing while delivering for our customers,” added Mr Travis.

Employees at Sutton Coldfield benefit from a comprehensive package including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals, employee discount and a company pension plan. Amazon also provides employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides funding for skills development through nationally recognised courses of up to £8,000 over four years.

Amazon is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy and is on path to powering its operations with 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025 – five years ahead of its original target.