By james art First opened in 2015, the closure of the RNO4 fulfillment center will affect hundreds of employees in the Reno area.
Amazon is closing its fulfillment center in north Reno, potentially affecting hundreds of workers in the area.
The retail giant plans to close its RNO4 facility next August, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed to the Reno Gazette Journal Monday morning.
“We weigh a variety of factors when deciding where to open new facilities, improve existing facilities and close others — including business needs, as well as how we can best improve the experience for employees, customers and partners,” said Amazon spokesman Steve Kelly.
“As our lease at our Reno facility expires, we have made the difficult decision to cease operations out of that site next year.”
What will happen to the workers at the Amazon plant in Reno?
The fulfillment center employs approximately 500 permanent employees at the site.
The company will work to help employees who want to stay at Amazon, as well as provide support for those who decide to leave.
“In addition to transferring as many employees as possible to other facilities in Reno, we are providing assistance to employees who are willing to relocate to another city and remain with Amazon,” Kelly said.
“For those who are not, we will provide a highly competitive severance package, including severance, transitional health benefits and job-finding support.”
Amazon’s Reno fulfillment center was hyped when it first opened
Located on North Virginia Street just south of Lemmon Drive, Amazon’s Reno fulfillment center opened with much fanfare in 2015 as an economic engine for the area.
The Reno facility — which shipped its first item this year on Jan. 21 — was also welcome news for Northern Nevada after Amazon announced the closing of its longtime Fernley facility in 2014.
The 630,000-square-foot facility in north Reno boasted features that were considered state-of-the-art at the time, including built-in cables that sync with forklifts to allow for very narrow aisles and a specialized machine that could builds custom boxes on demand for products that don’t fit into standard packages.
The news from Reno follows the closing of Amazon facilities in California
The planned closure of the north Reno facility comes just over a month after RGJ confirmed plans for a new Amazon facility in south Reno across from the Shayden Summit Mall. Unlike the North Reno facility, which is a traditional fulfillment center, the South Reno project will be a same-day facility, which is typically smaller.
The closing plans also come after Amazon filed two WARN notices in California to close two of its facilities in the state. A WARN notice is a 60-day notice required by law when a company implements facility closings or layoffs that affect 100 or more employees.
The WARN notice was filed on September 6 and affects more than 300 employees. The closure comes after Amazon decided not to renew leases for the facilities.
“We appreciate the hard work and commitment of our team and support the affected employees in finding new opportunities at Amazon, including at nearby fulfillment sites,” Amazon spokesman Sam Stevenson told the Reno Gazette Journal in September.
No WARN notice has been filed for the Amazon fulfillment center in north Reno.
The closing of the fulfillment center in north Reno will not affect the retailer’s customers in the area, according to Amazon. The company noted that the new same-day delivery center planned for south Reno will make the delivery process in the area even faster.
The planned facility in south Reno would also be one of the options available to local employees who want to continue working for Amazon, the company said.
The new facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
The new facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The construction date is subject to change depending on factors such as weather and supply chain issues, the company added.
— This story has been updated to add new information.