Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) is building another 850,000-square-foot fulfillment center in the Houston area.
Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co. is the developer for the project, which is being built on 93.5 acres at 10507 Harlem Road in Richmond in Fort Bend County, according to a press release. The facility is expected to open in 2021 and create 1,000 jobs.
The fulfillment center will ship small items such as books, electronics and toys, and employees will work alongside Amazon robotics.
“We are excited to be working with Amazon in Southeast Texas to deliver this new, state-of-the art fulfillment center,” said Jeremy Garner, a principal with TCC. “Significant planning has gone into this facility’s design, which allows for extensive use of robotics to further enhance Amazon’s robust fulfillment capabilities.”
The architect of record is Ware Malcomb, and Graycor Construction Company Inc. is serving as the general contractor. HSA & Associates, Langan Engineering and Jordon & Skala Engineers are providing engineering services, and The Harrington Group Inc. is providing fire protection design.
The site's undisclosed seller was represented by Tony Patronella and Jeanie Gibbs with Read King. Stephen Schneidau of Cushman & Wakefield and Matt O’Brien of KBC Advisors represented the land purchaser.
The Fort Bend Economic Development Council and Fort Bend County officials worked with Amazon to bring the project to Richmond, Fort Bend County Judge KP George said in the release.
“We’re delighted to continue our growth and investment in Texas, with our new fulfillment center in Richmond,” said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment. “This new fulfillment center will create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs, in addition to the more than 20,000 current employees across the state, who receive industry-leading pay and benefits starting on day one.”
Amazon increased its minimum wage to $15 per hour in late 2018, and full-time employees receive comprehensive benefits including a 401(k) with 50% match. Last summer, Amazon also announced plans to spend $700 million in a massive corporate retraining initiative focused on its U.S. workforce. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Amazon committed to hiring an additional 100,000 workers in the United States — including 5,900 in Texas. However, the company later said it hired 175,000 new employees, including 14,000 in Texas. More than 8,800 of those Texas hires were offered full-time roles, according to a May 29 press release.
The Seattle-based retail giant already employs thousands in the Houston area. Its largest local facility is the 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center Amazon opened in the Katy area in early 2018. That was the latest major Amazon facility to open in the Houston area, which also is home to an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center for small sortable items in Pinto Business Park and a 240,000-square-foot sortation center in Humble, plus a couple of Prime Now facilities.
Susan Davenport, chief economic officer for the Greater Houston Partnership, said the additional Amazon facility "further positions the region as a global logistics and distribution hub."
“The Greater Houston region provides unparalleled access to consumers and end users, and Houston’s strong technical and skilled talent is prepared to meet the needs of this state-of-the-art facility,” Davenport said in a statement.