Online global retailer Amazon has said its new North East warehouse will eventually create 2,000 jobs – double the number confirmed in initial announcements.
The company has announced that recruitment for its new £450m fulfilment centre in Stockton, Teesside, is now under way, ahead of an opening in the next few months. The 464,000 sq ft centre will launch with up to 1,000 employees when it begins handling customer orders in October 2023, before growing to 2,000 people.
Amazon said it consistently invests in its workplaces to ensure the most modern, engaging and safe environment for employees, and that the new building at Wynyard Park is the latest generation fulfilment centre, with three floors of Amazon Robotics technology. Recruiters are now looking for people to fill new roles, including engineers, HR and IT professionals, health and safety and finance specialists and members of the teams who pick, pack and ship customer orders.
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The Stockton site represents the firm’s fourth fulfilment centre in the North East, following the opening of centres in Darlington in May 2020, Durham in September 2020 and Gateshead in September 2021. The 2,000 new jobs created will take Amazon’s total workforce in the North East to 6,000 full and part-time roles, and the company’s investment in the region to more than £1.7bn since 2010.
Marianna Desai, Amazon’s regional director, said: “I am delighted to announce Amazon’s continued investment in the North East of England with the opening of a new fulfilment centre in Stockton-on-Tees, creating 2,000 new permanent jobs. I look forward to recruiting talented individuals in a diverse range of roles, from engineers and IT professionals through to the teams who will handle customer orders.”
Alex Cunningham, MP for Stockton North, said: “Amazon’s announcement is very welcome news for our area as it will see high quality jobs and substantial investment brought to Stockton-on-Tees. I was impressed by the modern state-of-the-art robotics building which I visited earlier this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing the site fully open and operational this Autumn, creating 2,000 new permanent local jobs and adding to Amazon’s already significant investment in the North East.”
Leader of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Coun Bob Cook, said: “We are delighted to support Amazon’s announcement of the forthcoming opening of a new state-of-the-art robotics fulfilment centre in Stockton-on-Tees. This will add 2,000 new permanent roles to the Borough and builds on the significant investment made by Amazon into the region to date.”
