Amazon announces plans for distribution center in Bristol, Virginia

BRISTOL, Va. — Two years after Amazon officials and Gov. Ralph Northam toured Southwest Virginia, the company announced plans for its first delivery center in the region on Wednesday.The facility, to be sited near Interstate 81's Exit 7, will allow Amazon to better serve rural customers in the region, said Bristol, Virginia City Manager Randy Eads.According to an Amazon press release on Wednesday, the facility will open in the Bristol Virginia Industrial Park at 103 Thomas Road in an existing building and create "hundreds" of jobs. Eads said that contractor J.A. Street and Associates will complete work on the building and additional parking space in July, with the facility opening by late summer or early fall.According to Amazon spokesperson Courtney Johnson Norman, the delivery center will add last-mile delivery capability as a reception point for packages from the company's fulfillment and sortation centers. From there, independent contractors and delivery businesses will handle delivery to customers.Wages for center employees will start at $15 per hour and various benefits on the first day of employment, Norman said.Norman called the new center an opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to handle Amazon customer deliveries."Obviously it's great news for the city," Eads said. "It's a great opportunity for our citizens and another choice of employment for residents."Eads pointed to the impact that Amazon, the Michael Waltrip Brewery (slated for a summer opening), and the planned 2023 opening of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino will have on Bristol's economy.Bristol Vice Mayor Anthony Farnum called the announcement "a great day for Bristol.""Southwest Virginia is open for business," said Farnum, "and the capital of Southwest Virginia, Bristol, is leading the way."In 2019, Northam and Amazon officials held a roundtable meeting in St. Paul with regional government and business leaders pitching the area as a potential site for company operations, although the company's team made no comment on planned activity then.Tri-Cities government and business leaders on Wednesday applauded Amazon's announcement."That visit followed the General Assembly's approval of legislation to incentivize a second Amazon headquarters in the commonwealth," said state Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, referring to the 2019 roundtable. "I am thrilled that these efforts have provided a foundation for today's announcement that Amazon will establish a delivery station in Bristol."Fifth District state Del. Israel O'Quinn, R-Bristol, and First District state Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, credited economic development partnership InvestSWVA team with helping show Amazon the area and its workforce quality."We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship with Amazon for years to come," O'Quinn added.LENOWISCO Planning District Executive Director Duane Miller said the Amazon announcement highlights how a local business success spreads beyond the locality."Studies show a 40–50-mile radius of economic impact with new business locations like this," Miller said. "The exposure an Amazon or similar company can bring to the region is an important collateral effect. Any win in Southwest Virginia is a win for all of us, especially if we get an Amazon."Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable said Amazon's choice to locate in the area shows the region is "on the map" when it comes to economic development."What's good for the region is good for us all," Venable said. "This certainly will be jobs for Sullivan Countians. I'm happy for Bristol, Virginia, and I look forward to working with them to maximize the opportunities this brings."Kingsport City Manager Chris McCartt said the positive economic impact of this announcement will be felt throughout all of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia."We are pleased to hear that Amazon has announced they are making an investment in Bristol, Virginia, which we hope is the first of more to come by this company in our region," said McCartt. "Amazon's entry into our region comes as really no surprise as more and more Americans turned to online shopping during the pandemic, thus creating more demand."Kingsport Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Miles Burdine congratulated Bristol for the Amazon facility."Every time a company chooses to come to this region, regardless of the specific location, it benefits all of us," Burdine said."We welcome the Amazon distribution center," Burdine said, "and we are here to support them in any way possible."Networks Sullivan Partnership CEO Clay Walker pointed to the employment opportunities on both sides of the state line with the new center."Amazon minimum starting wage is $15 an hour with benefits, so that will attract a few folks, I'm sure," Walker said, adding congratulations to site project coordinator J.A. Street for site preparation."They have a great building there," he said of the center's location, "and I know they are thrilled to have such a recognizable brand fill it and they certainly welcome the jobs, as we all do."