Amazon has opened the doors to a 35,000 square-foot delivery station in Great Falls, making the global retailer one of the latest major companies to invest in the Electric City.
The new "last-mile" Amazon facility at 4000 North Star Boulevard is expected to speed up deliveries in the area and meet the demands of a growing customer base.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video here:
The operation has already hired approximately 50 employees, with even more job opportunities anticipated as the site ramps up.
“Great Falls is just full of a lot of positive business influence, a really innovative community, and a very strong workforce that we are happy to take advantage of,” said Tareq Wafaie of Amazon’s Economic Development team. The company sees significant potential in the region, both in its people and its infrastructure.
The facility presents opportunities for a variety of job-seekers. “Great opportunities for single parents looking to supplement their income. Recent college or high school graduates, even our veterans who might be on a fixed income and just need to supplement their existing opportunities,” added Wafaie.
Amazon joins a wave of big-name brands—such as Texas Roadhouse, Panera, Chick-fil-A, and WinCo—fueling economic growth in Great Falls.
According to Brett Doney, CEO of the Great Falls Development Alliance, the momentum in the community has made Great Falls an attractive market for national brands. “We don't put a lot of effort into attracting retail and services because they follow, they monitor. Sometimes they'll contact us for market data that they can’t get online,” said Doney.
Large investments by one company often set off a domino effect, attracting others. “The retailers see it as, oh, there's $1 billion investment over there, there's one over here, there's this over there. And then they decide to go ahead and invest in the market,” Doney explains.
The Great Falls facility comes several months after another site opening in Kalispell, where Amazon launched a 28,000-square-foot delivery station.
