Amazon provides an inside look at its Ohio warehouse

CANTON − Amazon employees drive order picker vehicles, honking as they maneuver around aisles of floor-to-ceiling shelves in the 1 million-square-foot facility just north of U.S. Route 62.

The non-sortable fulfillment center opened in May at 4747 Rebar Ave. NE and now employs more than 1,000 full- and part-time hourly and salaried employees. General Manager Anthony Papa said the company is "consistently hiring" and will add another 20 to 50 employees in the coming weeks.

"This building is filled with your neighbors and friends," he said Wednesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony that was followed by tours for local officials and media.

Papa thanked area partners, especially Canton Mayor Thomas Bernabei, for helping to bring three years of planning to fruition. Christopher Hardesty, the city's economic development director, spoke in the mayor's absence and said the new jobs with "outstanding" wages and benefits will provide work for area residents.

"The social and economic impact of a project like this is truly transformative in that Amazon has invested millions of dollars into Canton and hundreds of jobs," Hardesty said.

Amazon's starting hourly wage is $16.50 and benefits include pre-paid college tuition and a 401k company match. Kyle DeGiulio, Amazon's senior manager for economic development in Ohio, said the company has created 37,000 jobs at 30 locations across the state.

"We look forward to continuing to find ways to partner with educational institutions, workforce development organizations and nonprofits to ensure that the economic benefits of this facility are felt across the city of Canton and Stark County," DeGiulio said.

Amazon representatives also presented a $10,000 check to the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank during the event.

Facility entrance

The main entrance to the three-story building opens into a lobby with a fruit stand and a break room and locker room off to the side. High-visibility safety vests were required to enter the warehouse.

Papa said Amazon has invested more than $1 billion to enhance safety companywide.

Images of an astronaut are incorporated throughout the facility, including on an employee affinity group wall near the entrance. Papa said the logo is a nod to the state's notable occupation and the company's focus on the future and togetherness.

Warehouse operations

Tour groups traveled from the order pick area to the pack area to the ship area. The Amazon facility doesn't ship directly to consumers but sends items to a regional third-party delivery company or Amazon shipping.

The items handled in Canton are typically larger than a microwave, Papa said, and anything smaller is handled by robotic fulfillment centers. He expects more than 5 million items to be stored in the warehouse at peak times.

Everything from pet food to office chairs to lawn and garden equipment is stored randomly. Papa said it might seem "counterintuitive" but studies have shown it's more efficient for employees who gather wide-ranging customer orders.

There is a designated charging area for the powered industrial trucks (PIT), all of which use lithium batteries. They're equipped with light detection and ranging (lidar) technology that guides the vehicles down aisles and automatically slows them if something is in their path.

Blue signs hang from the ceiling to designate storage zones, packaging lines and other areas ― such as those for training employees to use equipment or how best to move to avoid injury.

"We're focused on that continuous improvement, especially on the safety side," Papa said.

He didn't have details about local suppliers of Amazon equipment but said the company tries to work with area companies when possible.

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn Twitter: @kbyerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Amazon offers a behind-the-scenes look at Ohio warehouse