Amazon on Tuesday shipped its first customer order from its new fulfillment center in Kent.
The company shipped a swaddling blanket from the 800,000-plus square-foot facility to a customer near Beaverton, Ore., according to a Amazon media release. Amazon employs about 1,200 at the facility.
The first shipment came just days after Amazon welcomed hundreds of full-time employees to the center where associates will pick, pack and ship smaller customer orders, such as books, electronic devices and toys.
Amazon fulfillment center jobs pay on average 30 percent more than traditional retail jobs, according to the company. A recent ad on Indeed.com said starting pay is up to $12.75 per hour for a warehouse job in Kent. Amazon employees also receive comprehensive benefits, including healthcare starting on day one, 401(k), and company stock awards.
The company also offers full-time employees innovative programs like Career Choice, where the company will pre-pay up to 95 percent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields, regardless of whether the skills are relevant to a career at Amazon.
Recently, Amazon gave Kent city officials, school district representatives and Members of the Student Advisory Council a first look inside its newest fulfillment center. Amazon also announced the donation of $5,000 to the Neely-O’Brien Elementary after-school robotics and engineering program, Success Academy. The funds will be used to purchase of materials to build robots and help with competition fees. Amazon’s donation to the program is part of a long-term partnership with the Kent School District.
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