Amazon Offers Peek Inside Its New Romeoville Warehouse
CHICAGO (CBS) – A job boost is coming for southwest suburban Romeoville. The so-called "everything store," better known as Amazon, has opened a warehouse there.
CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli took a peek inside.
Amazon opened a 750,000-square-foot "fulfillment center" in Romeoville in September, but this week they had their official grand opening, with state, county, and village officials.
Gov. Bruce Rauner toured one of the state's newest warehouses. At times he sounded like Amazon's biggest fan.
"Amazon is one of the greatest companies in the world," Rauner said.
It is a company whose meteoric growth rate now puts its market cap at twice that of Walmart, the world's largest retailer.
But Wal-Mart employs six times as many people. Still, Rauner is not concerned that Amazon's increased use of technology will prevent it from hiring more people.
The Romeoville warehouse is 750,000 square feet. It is one of five currently in Illinois, with four more planned by the end of the year.
More than 1,000 people in Romeoville, and more than 3,000 more work at facilities in Joliet. Amazon says they're looking to hire more.
They are jobs that the company claims in some cases pay up to 30 percent more than some of their competitors.
CBS 2 asked Amazon how much the facility cost and how much tax revenue it is generating, but so far we have yet to hear back.