Amazon fulfillment center features robots working alongside employees

Amazon announced plans Wednesday to open a new fulfillment center in Pflugerville, Texas, where some employees will work alongside robots.

The retail giant is expected to launch the new 820,000-square-foot site in 2021 and bring more than 1,000 jobs with a starting wage of $15 an hour to the area, according to a press release.

"We’re appreciative of the people of Texas for so warmly embracing Amazon into the community," Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, said in a Wednesday statement.

Employees at the new site will work alongside robots to pick, pack and ship small items such as books, electronics and toys to customers. Amazon has deployed the use of robots at 26 of its 175 fulfillment centers worldwide, according to its website.

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Amazon says its human workers "and robots work harmoniously to get packages to customers on time." Robots help workers to pick, sort, transport, and stow packages. Robots can also help with heavy-lifting jobs.

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Davis added that there are currently more than 20,000 people in Texas working for the e-commerce company.

Pflugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales welcomed the news of the new fulfillment center.

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"Pflugerville is a bustling area, and the addition of this fulfillment center with over 1,000 jobs shows that Pflugerville is the new frontier in Central Texas," Gonzalez said. "Pflugerville’s connectivity via the SH 130 corridor is a prime location for business expansion, and we welcome Amazon, a business that shares our belief that Pflugerville is a wonderful place to live and work.'

Since the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. began, Amazon has invested more than $700 million to provide more than 100,000 temporary and full-time jobs to those searching for work.

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