The new Amazon Fulfillment Center going up is off I-55 in Canton. John Rounsaville with Mississippi Development Authority says they worked on the deal for about a year. He says by this summer, Mississippi was down to competing against two other states for the facility. Rounsaville says having Amazon Fulfillment Centers already in Desoto and Marshall Counties helped.
“They were very pleased with the operation they’ve already got here so we were a natural extension for expansion. In this case, being at the intersection of 55 and 20 just geographically it makes sense for them to locate a new facility here,” said Rounsaville.
Rounsaville says the state provided $8 million for infrastructure such as water, sewer and road work. He estimates the economic impact to the state at $50 million. Joey Deason is with Madison County Economic Development Authority. He says the company will hire 1,000 employees to work at the 700,000 square foot, four-story facility. Deason says Canton is already seeing an economic boost because of the project.
On any given day there’s probably between 200 to 300 individuals on site. They’re buying gas, they’re eating lunches, they’re eating dinners, they’re staying in the hotels. So, the City of Canton is already seeing a bump,” said Deason.
John Rounsaville says despite the coronavirus pandemic, new economic investment statewide, which includes projects like Mission Forest Products in Corinth, are expected to exceed $1.5 billion this year. He says last year that number was $1.1 billion.
