Former GM plant site to become Amazon fulfillment center

An e-tail giant will open its third supply chain facility in Delaware.

Amazon will launch a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Wilmington, Del., creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs. The company will lease a built-to-suit building, developed by Dermody Properties, at the site of the former General Motors Wilmington assembly plant, which closed in 2009 and was demolished in 2019. 

Amazon’s new operations facility will span more than 820,000-sq.-ft. on the ground floor. Employees at the site will work alongside Amazon robotics technology to pick, pack and ship smaller customer items such as books, electronics, small household goods and toys. In addition, Amazon will hire for roles in HR, operations management, safety, security, finance, and IT.

Amazon initiated operations in Delaware in New Castle in 1997, and opened its second Delaware fulfillment center in Middletown in 2012. 

"The First State was home to Amazon's first fulfillment center 23 years ago," said Ryan Smith, director of Amazon robotics fulfillment centers in North America. "I'm proud to see the continued growth and investment in Delaware with our newest fulfillment center in Wilmington. Amazon has found an outstanding, passionate workforce, strong state and local support and incredible customers across the state. We look forward to creating 1,000 new, full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and benefits, starting on day one, in a safe, innovative and quality work environment."

Since 2010, Amazon says it has invested more than $2.5 billion in Delaware through its customer fulfillment infrastructure and employee compensation. Amazon's says its investments in Delaware have contributed an additional $1 billion into the state's economy, and using methodology developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Amazon estimates its investments in the state have created an additional 700-plus indirect jobs on top of the company's 2,500 direct hires.

Amazon operates more than 110 fulfillment centers in North America and 185 globally.