SUFFOLK, Va. — Some new robots have arrived in Hampton Roads all thanks to Amazon.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday visited Suffolk for the grand opening of the company's newest robotics fulfillment center. Among the miles and miles of conveyor belts, the center combines human labor with the technology of the future.
"It's just another chapter in a great book that Virginia's right with Amazon," Gov. Youngkin said. "I saw a lot of smiles I saw a lot of ambition I saw a lot of hard work. It's really fun to be here."
The facility ships about 200,000 packages a day, and with the holidays approaching, that number is predicted to be close to a million.
"What our robotics technology allows us to do is take away from that heavy lifting so [our associates] can focus on safety and quality," said general manager Gregory Lum. "Our conveyance will do the leg work and our associates and employees can focus on delivering smiles all across the Hampton Roads area."
The 3.8 million square foot facility is one of the largest buildings in the commonwealth, second only to the Pentagon. It's creating 1,500 full-time jobs.
"Being a Hampton Roads boy, this is a great place to live and so we're seeing a lot of companies recognize that as well," Gov. Youngkin said. "They're going to come to Hampton Roads, they're going to build a future, building great opportunities for Virginians and I can look forward to seeing Hampton Roads grow, grow grow."
Since 2010, Amazon said it's created more than thousands upon thousands of jobs across Virginia which have contributed $27 billion to the commonwealth's economy.
To learn more about jobs at Amazon click or tap here.
