New Facility Will Create 850 New Jobs

MIDDLETOWN, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2012-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced plans to open a 1.0 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Middletown, Delaware. Amazon will create 850 full-time jobs at the new center. Total investment in the project will exceed $90 million.

“We welcome Amazon’s expansion in Delaware, which will mean a significant number of jobs for many skilled and talented Delawareans who want to get to work,” said Governor Markell. “The company’s expansion is a credit to the hard work taking place throughout the state to attract top-notch employers.”

The Middletown facility will be Amazon’s second fulfillment center in Delaware. Amazon opened its fulfillment center in New Castle in 1997. The company currently employs hundreds of full-time workers at the facility.

“We look forward to opening our second facility in Delaware this year, creating 850 new jobs in the state,” said Dave Clark, vice president, Amazon global customer fulfillment. “We appreciate the hard work of the many state, county and local leaders who have committed to Amazon jobs and investment as part of this project.”

In December, the Delaware Economic Development Office awarded the company $3.47 million from the Delaware Strategic Fund to support the expansion, of which $2.12 million will help create new jobs at the site. The fund will also contribute to the company’s infrastructure investment, equal to 3 percent of the total capital expenditures, or a maximum of $1.35 million.

A separate grant for up to $4 million from the Delaware New Jobs Infrastructure Fund will be used to build extensions of public roads to serve the project, improve traffic flow and provide access to additional properties for future economic development.

The Infrastructure Fund was established in the fiscal year 2012 Bond Bill to provide economic assistance for renovation, construction or improvements to roads, utilities and related infrastructure in order to attract new businesses to Delaware, or for the expansion of existing Delaware businesses that would create a significant number of direct, permanent, quality, full-time jobs.

“Fourteen years ago, Amazon chose Delaware for its first East Coast fulfillment center,” said Levin. “The advantages of our quality workforce and strategic location still hold true today. The company’s expansion in Delaware is a testament to that fact, and a result of a positive, collaborative effort between the state and the town of Middletown.

Amazon will also benefit from a real estate tax abatement from the town of Middletown for the next 10 years.

“We are truly excited Amazon has selected Middletown as its new home,” said Middletown Mayor Kenneth Branner. “This project is a win-win all around, for the town of Middletown and the state of Delaware. The new jobs would be a jump start to our economy and bring additional employment growth to our area.”

Amazon’s new facility is expected to be complete this fall. Amazon’s fulfillment centers in Delaware are operated by Amazon.com.dedc, LLC.

About the Delaware Economic Development Office

The Delaware Economic Development Office is an executive state agency responsible for attracting new investors and businesses to the state, promoting the expansion of existing industry, assisting small and minority-owned businesses, promoting and developing tourism and creating new and improved employment opportunities for all citizens of the State. Visit dedo.delaware.gov. Follow DEDO on Facebook or Twitter @DEDOgov.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes - still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Line, 206-266-7180
or
DEDO
Nikki Lavoie, 302-233-8692
nikki.lavoie@state.de.us
or
Governor’s Office
Cathy Rossi
catherine.rossi@state.de.us