NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced today that Amazon will invest over $230 million to establish a new Operations Center of Excellence in downtown Nashville.
As part of Amazon’s investment, the company will create 5,000 high-paying jobs in Davidson County, representing the single largest jobs commitment made by a company in Tennessee’s history.
“This is a game changer for Tennessee. The ripple effect of Amazon’s decision to invest $230 million in our state and create 5,000 high-paying jobs in downtown Nashville will be felt for years to come,” Haslam said. “Amazon has spent the past year searching the nation for the best possible locations to expand and it chose Tennessee because of our business-friendly policies, low taxes and skilled workforce. I thank Amazon for its continued investment in Tennessee.”
“Amazon has been a valued partner in Tennessee for a number of years and is currently home to six facilities across our state employing more than 6,500 Tennesseans,” Rolfe said. “Today’s announcement is a tremendous win for Nashville, Davidson County and Middle Tennessee. We are incredibly grateful to Amazon for selecting Nashville for its Operations Center of Excellence, and I look forward to the considerable impact these jobs will have on the citizens of our state.”
“We are looking forward to joining the community and are excited to be creating high-paying jobs in Nashville. Our new Operations Center of Excellence will become the Eastern U.S. hub for our Retail Operations division,” said Holly Sullivan, Amazon Public Policy.
Amazon has five fulfillment and sortation centers in Tennessee located in Charleston, Chattanooga, Lebanon, Murfreesboro and Nashville, as well as one Prime Now Hub in Nashville.
Amazon will build its Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville Yards, a 15-acre, mixed-use development in downtown Nashville. The one million square foot office space will house the tech and management functions of Amazon’s Retail Operations division, including customer fulfillment, customer service, transportation, and supply chain, amongst others.
“This is fantastic news for the city. Nashville continues to prove itself as a desirable destination for businesses and, in turn, as an economic leader in our country,” Nashville Mayor David Briley said. “Amazon’s decision to put 5,000 high-paying jobs right in the heart of Nashville further underscores our city’s vibrancy and is a direct nod to our talented workforce and overall financial health. Today’s announcement is also a testament to the strong relationships we have with the State, TVA and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, who were all instrumental in this agreement.”
The project is the single largest jobs announcement in the state’s history and is projected to create more than 13,000 jobs for Tennessee’s workforce. In addition, for every one direct job created by the project, an additional 1.6 jobs will be created in the state.
From 2011 to 2017, Amazon has invested more than $5 billion in Tennessee, including customer fulfillment infrastructure and compensation to its employees.
Along with the City of Nashville, the State of Tennessee also worked with key partners, including the Tennessee Valley Authority and Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, to recruit the project to the state.
“TVA serves the Valley by keeping rates as low as feasible, generating ever cleaner reliable power, and working with communities to bring jobs to the Valley. When those three are working well it results in announcements like we have today,” TVA President and CEO Bill Johnson said. “We are honored to be part of this endeavor, one of the largest initial new jobs commitments in the history of TVA Economic Development, and we look forward to working closely in partnership with Nashville Electric Service and Amazon for years to come.”
“It’s a testament to the vitality of the region’s economy that an industry leader such as Amazon has chosen Nashville for its new Operations Center of Excellence,” said Ralph Schulz, president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Nashville’s unique vibe, in-migration trends and strong business growth helped set us apart as a top 20 city for Amazon’s HQ2. Ultimately, being selected as a finalist opened the opportunity for Nashville to be chosen for this significant operation – a historic win for our region.”
Nashville and Davidson County are represented by Speaker Beth Harwell (R – Nashville), Rep. Bill Beck (D – Nashville), Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D – Nashville), Rep. Vincent Dixie (D – Nashville), Rep. Bob Freeman (D – Nashville), Rep. Darren Jernigan (D – Old Hickory), Rep. Harold Love (D – Nashville), Rep. Bo Mitchell (D – Nashville), Rep. Jason Potts (D – Nashville), Rep. Jason Powell (D – Nashville), Rep. Mike Stewart (D – Nashville), Sen. Steven Dickerson (R – Nashville), Sen. Brenda Gilmore (D – Nashville), Sen. Ferrell Haile (R – Gallatin) and Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D – Nashville) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web: tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
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