By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Despite persistent rumors that the Amazon distribution center in Slidell is never going to open, a spokesman for the international corporate giant said this week that those stories are not true.
Amazon built the huge 140,000 square foot center at the corner of Old Spanish Trail and Town Center Parkway, originally expected to open in early 2022.
As the massive facility sat idle throughout 2022, rumors began to surface on social media that Amazon was not going to open here, which the posts claimed to have occurred at some other distribution sites around the country.
Slidell Mayor Greg Cromer talked to Amazon officials in the fall of 2022 and was assured the center was only delayed by supply chain problems. He was told they expected to be up-and-running by the first quarter of 2023.
However, as the first quarter of this year is almost over, rumors surfaced again, saying that a “site launch” list for Amazon that previously included Slidell was no longer supporting the opening here.
However, Amazon Public Relations Manager Steve Kelly told The Slidell Independent on Monday that as of today, “the rumors are not true.”
“The Slidell delivery station remains in our plans. While we don’t have a specific launch date to share right know, once we have a better sense of timing, we’ll work with the local community and employment organizations in the area to hire employees for this facility,” he stated.
Amazon announced plans for the center in 2021 and promised close to 400 jobs, with the lowest starting pay at $15 an hour, including a strong package of benefits. Cromer called the acquisition for Slidell a great accomplishment considering the excellent jobs being offered, and the clean industry for the community.
Kelly confirmed that delays in 2022 included supply chain problems in getting certain products to operate a distribution center as large as Amazon has. But he said the more recent delays also had to do with a change in the overall business situation for Amazon, including product demand.
“It also takes a lot to integrate a new center into the Amazon delivery system, but we usually announce a call for employees about 30 days before we are ready to open,” he added.