Amazon set to expand in Visalia, will bring seasonal and full-time jobs with it

Everyone loves opening the door to see an Amazon box — even when you have to hastily open it to keep the purchase hush hush from your spouse.

Now, the online retail giant is set to expand its footprint in Visalia's Industrial Park, making same-day deliveries even faster than their already "by 10p.m." same-day promise in Visalia and Tulare.

Amazon officials say the company invest in the communities in which "we work and live," Amazon spokesperson Natalie Banke said.

"While we’re a global business, we have local roots set firmly here in Central Valley, and we’re very lucky to call Visalia home," Banke said. "From the local jobs we bring, to the local people we employ, train and upskill—our business is made up of people from the communities in which we operate.”

The new site off Riggin Avenue in Visalia Industrial Park will be full operational by the end of the year. It will bring hundreds of jobs to the area, many of them full-time.

Visalia's new Amazon site facts:

Building Name: HLA6

Building type: Same Day facility, offering customers Same-Day Delivery, within hours of a purchase

Launch timing: Will launch sometime this month

Jobs: We’re hiring for hundreds of full time and part time jobs at this site, with starting pay $15.50 an hour. Hiring will take place in phases (weekly) as shift schedules are released.

"Same-Day facilities are compact, with the average building being 75,000- to 100,000-square-feet. The smaller footprint, means more technological advancements, allowing us to pick, pack, and deliver customer items all from one location," Banke said.

Customers in Visalia and Tulare areas "will be able to take advantage of this new service once the building is fully ramped by the end of the year."

Amazon launched its 1.3 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Visalia's Industrial Park in August 2021.About 1,000 people were hired at the time.

Unlike other Amazon warehouses in Bakersfield and Fresno, the Visalia center handles larger items. It's the only facility of its kind in the southern and central San Joaquin Valley, General Manager Carlos Avelar said.

Last year, UPS opened a 425,000-square-foot distribution hub across the street from Amazon.

For years, Visalia has promoted its center-state location and the presence of a major UPS transportation hub with access to 98%of California's population via overnight delivery — 95 million consumers.

Need a job?

Amazon announced it has begun hiring for 20,000 seasonal, full-time and part-time roles across customer fulfillment and transportation throughout California, according to Banke.

“We’re proud to offer a wide variety of roles for people of all backgrounds, with more than 150,000 roles available across the country," said John Felton, Amazon’s senior vice president of worldwide operations. "Whether someone is looking for some extra money for a few months or a long-term career, the holidays are a great time for people to join Amazon, and many of our seasonal employees return year-after-year or transition into full-time roles."

Visalia is among more than a dozen sites hiring including Bakersfield, Chico, Fresno, Irvine, Livermore, Los Angeles, Modesto, Napa, Oakland, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Stockton, Truckee-Grass Valley, Vallejo, and Ventura.

The announcement follows a commitment to hire 150,000 seasonal employees throughout the country. While starting pay varies by city, all Amazon jobs in the U.S., including the new seasonal roles, have an average starting hourly pay of more than $19 per hour.

The minimum wage in California is $15 an hour but comes with other perks.

“Those who choose to stay with us will find a lot of opportunities to grow their careers, whether they take advantage of our free college tuition programs or seek out promotions across our network," Felton said. "This year alone, more than 20,000 frontline employees received promotions.”

Jobs in Amazon’s Visalia site off Riggin Avenue include stowing, picking, packing, shipping, delivering customer orders, and more.

“One of the main reasons I liked seasonal is that I had the option to try out the position before jumping in to the commitment. Once I was on board, I knew I wanted to take advantage of what Amazon had to offer as far as benefits and the opportunity to use Career Choice to go back to college,” said Michael Tang, an Amazon employee.

To apply, go to www.amazon.com/apply.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Amazon set to expand in Visalia, will bring seasonal and full-time jobs with it