Amazon recently celebrated the opening of SAV4, its first robotics fulfillment center in Chatham County, Georgia. The state-of-the-art facility spans over 640,000 square feet and consists of five stories. This project represents an investment of over $250 million and has created around 1,000 jobs in the area.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Trip Tollison, CEO and president of Savannah Economic Development Authority, highlighted the significance of this venture. He stated, “The other thing is, Amazon could have put this just about anywhere else, and it was a very competitive project and we really rolled up our sleeves, got together, and made it happen.”
The event was attended by Governor Brian Kemp and other state and local officials. Kemp expressed his gratitude to Amazon for continuing to do business in Georgia, which has been ranked as the number one state for business for nine consecutive years. He emphasized that the new fulfillment center is not just an average distribution warehouse, but a state-of-the-art facility.
SAV4 incorporates Amazon robotics technology, which assists employees in fulfilling customer orders efficiently. The facility features 10 miles of interconnected conveyors that sort packages, as well as robotic drivers that transport packages from one station to another. With over 4,000 robotic machineries, SAV4 focuses on enhancing safety and increasing operational efficiency.
Mauricio Garcia, the General Manager of SAV4, stressed the collaborative nature of the robotics technology. He stated, “Our robotics are always meant to be working alongside our associates. It’s not impactful for the number of associates we’re going to have. Kind of the reason we’re continuously pushing out technology is because we want to do it quicker and at a lower cost, and all this technology is going to help us achieve that.”
With this new fulfillment center, Amazon aims to serve the growing population in the Chatham County area more efficiently. Ashley Dilatory, Vice President of Public Policy at Amazon, explained the strategic decision. She mentioned that the facility will result in faster delivery of packages, with customers in Georgia receiving their orders up to one or two days sooner.
This venture also aligns with Amazon’s commitment to supporting small and medium-sized businesses. Dilatory highlighted that 60% of the millions of products stored in the warehouse are from these businesses and entrepreneurs. Amazon’s operations in Georgia, since 2015, have already grown the workforce to over 30,000 full and part-time employees.
Governor Kemp emphasized the positive impact of this project on both large and small-scale businesses in Georgia. He expressed excitement about the support that Amazon provides to thousands of independent authors and entrepreneurs, resulting in the creation of additional jobs across the state.
This new fulfillment center marks a significant step forward for Amazon’s operations in Georgia, enabling the company to expand its workforce, enhance efficiency, and serve customers more effectively.
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