Amazon plans to establish a new fulfillment center in Acheson, Canada, located west of Edmonton, Alberta, to support its fulfillment and distribution needs across Western Canada.
The more than 600,000-square-foot location will be its first robotics facility in Alberta. Despite the warehouse’s use of robots, Amazon said it will hire more than 1,000 full- and part-time staff to work at the facility, which is expected to open in 2022.
“Parkland County is an ideal location for fulfillment centers,” Acheson Mayor Rod Shaigec said. “Its close proximity to a major population center…offers easy access to 1.4 million customers. Its strategic location along the CANAMEX corridor and the Trans-Canadian highway allows companies to cover via truck all of Western Canada within a one-day drive.”
Amazon said in May it would be hiring 75,000 people in its fulfillment and logistics network across the U.S. and Canada as it continues to expand its footprint and serve customers.
“As companies look to reshape their logistics operating model to increase effectiveness, efficiency and resilience, they should remember that Canada’s borders are very much open and provide an excellent conduit for the flow of goods and products between Canada, the United States and the world,” said Robert Fernandez, director of economic diversification for Parkland County. “Canada also gives investors preferential market access through 14 trade agreements to 51 countries with nearly 1.5 billion consumers and a combined GDP of $49.3 trillion.”
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Other logistic assets include a Foreign Trade Zone, 24/7 air cargo services at the Edmonton International Airport, two Class 1 transcontinental rail carriers with intermodal terminal, and access to western Canadian ports via road and rail, offering easy access to Asian markets. Cargo Village, the airport’s specialized cargo cluster development, has eight integrated courier/freight carriers, three independent cargo handlers, 40 freight forwarders and customs brokers, six cargo terminals and Canada Customs onsite providing commercial multimodal customs services.
The Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert–the deepest port in North America and the closest port to Asia–provide access to more than 170 countries.
In addition to locating in Parkland County, Amazon will be donating more than 200 build-your-own robot kits to community groups in the Parkland County area with the goal of providing the resources necessary to introduce local youth to the world of robotics, unlock their imagination and explore a new challenge. The project is being developed in partnership with Parkland County, Panattoni Development Company and QuadReal.