Georgia has scored another, smaller victory while seeking to lure Amazon's second headquarters to Atlanta. It is gaining a fourth Amazon distribution center.
Gov. Nathan Deal announced Tuesday that Amazon plans a bulk distribution facility in Macon, a city more than 80 miles south of Atlanta, to ship large items, including furniture, sporting equipment and gardening tools.
Amazon will lease a 1M SF facility in Macon, officials said. The online retail giant already operates distribution centers in Braselton, Lithia Springs and Union City. Georgia Department of Economic Development Director Brittany Holtzclaw led the efforts to gain the new project, officials said.
The news comes just a couple of weeks after Georgia submitted its secretive bid for Amazon's HQ2 project, a deal that will bring 50,000 high-paying jobs to the winning city. Georgia reportedly offered up an incentive package that exceeded $1B, and featured a host of potential sites in Metro Atlanta. Atlanta is one of more than 200 cities across the continent vying for the holy grail of economic development projects.
Georgia Department of Economic Development Deputy Commissioner Tom Croteau said Amazon is expected to start visiting sites across the country beginning in November, and needs up to 750K SF immediately, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But the driver for Georgia's pitch focused on the region's workforce, which Croteau said was a major priority for Amazon.
