First look inside Amazon's new Fresno fulfillment center

Tuesday, May 22, 2018
First look inside Amazon's new Fresno facility
Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on the Southwest Fresno building that's going to bring 1,500 jobs to the Central Valley.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- After almost a year of concrete pours and a ton of work, we got our first look Monday inside the massive Amazon fulfillment center that's almost ready to open up in Southwest Fresno.

Amazon showed off exactly how robots and people are going to be working hand in hand to get you your packages in record time.

Amazon's robots are getting their first test runs, the software is up and running, and pods and drive units are getting the final run through before they are expected to process hundreds of thousands of products in a single day.

"Depending on the season, the number of products that we ship out of this facility will vary, but they could be anywhere from a half a million units to a million units in a day," said Imran Ahmad, the general manager of the Fresno Amazon fulfillment center.

The 855,000 square foot building is so big, it houses more than 10 miles of conveyor belts. Inside workers will pick, pack, and ship smaller items like toys, housewares, and electronics.

Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on the Southwest Fresno building that's going to bring 1,500 jobs to the Central Valley.

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand is excited about the energy and employment opportunities the business brings, and the partnership Amazon is building with the city. "I hope to see more fulfillment centers in Fresno. So thank you so much for believing in Fresno."

Ahmad says Amazon will be doing more than bringing jobs to the area; the company will also be offering a program that makes it possible for employees reach their ultimate career goals. "In this program, we train associates in fields that may or may not be related to Amazon specific skills requirements, but these are in demand fields. So we pay 95% of the tuition for associates to join these degrees." That offer applies even if the degrees take those workers to employers other than Amazon.

The hiring process is still underway. The only requirement is that you are legal to work in the US. Amazon will train you for your position.

RELATED: Amazon looking to hire hundreds for new Fresno fulfillment center

LINK: Apply for warehouse associate position

The fulfillment center is set to open sometime in June.