OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Amazon fulfillment center in Papillion that opened in January is of the most high-tech variety Amazon has built, the store manager told 3 News Now on Thursday.
Media, including 3 News Now, were given a tour inside the facility for the first time on Thursday.
Aaron Schmidt said he's watched Amazon's tech evolve since he started working there in 2014. Now, the new facility he manages utilizes more than 4,000 robots carrying products around the warehouse and 14 miles of convener belts.
He said he walked more than 14 miles a day at the type of warehouse that is now uncommon for the company.
When asked by a journalist how they're keeping employees safe, he pointed to the tech.
"The old, traditional facility, you're gonna feel soreness sometimes," he said. "We've transitioned into Amazon robotics, sortable facilities."
OSHA data shows Amazon facilities in Nebraska saw more injuries in 2021 compared to 2020. The rate of injury was 7.5 per 100 full-time equivalent employees in 2020, but increased to 11.4 in 2021 (the latest data available), according to an analysis from the National Employment Law Project.
3 News Now Photojournalist Kevin Rempe asked about that.
"I don't know that specific data," Schmidt said. "That wouldn't have been this facility. But, again, we're going to continue to leverage technology to make our processes that much better."
The facility isn't yet at its full capacity. Product is still being added. It has about 700 employees now but plans to employ at least 1,000. Jobs start at $16.50 an hour, they say. They'll soon offer a $3,000 sign-on bonus for a limited time, Schmidt said.
The 700,000-square-foot fulfillment center, which means the product is stored there, is the first in Nebraska. Schmidt said that means some products should arrive sooner. Other Amazon facilities in the metro include a supplemental fulfillment center in Council Bluffs and delivery stations in Papillion and Omaha.
Amazon said in a press release it has invested more than $250 million in Nebraska through infrastructure and added $200 million to the state GDP.
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