Grand opening of first Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center in Virginia

By: City of Suffolk

Recently, Amazon opened the doors of its newest robotics fulfillment center
in Suffolk, Virginia, to policymakers and community leaders for a special
grand opening event. The 3.8 million-square-foot facility is Amazon’s ninth
fulfillment center in Virginia, and the Commonwealth’s first Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center.

More than 1,500 employees at this facility work alongside innovative robotics technology to pick, pack, and ship smaller- sized customer items such as home goods, electronics, toys handbooks.“Returning to Virginia to lead the launch of our first robotics fulfillment center in the commonwealth has been a full-circle homecoming. I am a proud alumni of Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and I enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard before commissioning as a logistics officer through VMI’s Army ROTC program,” said Greg Lum, general manager of the Suffolk fulfillment center. “We’re honored to be part of the fabric of Suffolk and we’re committed to investing in, and giving back to the Hampton Roads communities where our employees live and work.”

Policymakers and community leaders got a behind-the-scenes tour of the
innovative technologies and processes that employees use on a daily basis
to fulfill customer orders. The special grand opening ceremony and tour
also gave Amazon the chance to thank the community for their ongoing
support.

“One of the great privileges of being Governor is to see projects like this
Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center come to life. It is a true partnership that stretches across functions, state governments, federal government, and
even decades,” said Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. “Amazon reaffirms
our commitment to making Suffolk, and the entire Commonwealth, the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

“A project and building as impressive as this robotics facility takes strong
planning and coordination. It started when our Economic Development staff presented us with the best possible Suffolk site, on what was known as
Project Patriot in early 2019. Our staff pieced through this development with Amazon and their consulting team to ensure it could be supported by ourcodes and public infrastructure,” said Mayor Mike Duman. “This development, more than 35 years in the making, has taken vision, commitment, and patience. On behalf of Suffolk, I am proud of this facility being in Suffolk and I thank Amazon for choosing to invest in our city.”