Amazon Unveils Canada’s Largest Fulfillment Center
Amazon opened its newest robotics fulfilment centre, YYC4, in Calgary, Alta., today, only the second of its kind in Canada.
A new type of Amazon fulfillment centre has opened in the Calgary area: the state-of-the-art Amazon YYC4 warehouse features AI technology, robotics and 1,500 new jobs. Premier Danielle Smith acknowledged the has a growing presence Amazon Canada has in Alberta: this is the eleventh operation site the company has opened in less than ten years.
Measuring 2.8 million square feet with more than 1,500 employees, the new facility will offer in-demand skills training and career growth opportunities with cutting-edge technology that fulfils customer orders more quickly.
Sushant Jha, general manager of YYC4, says from a technology standpoint, the only other Amazon facility in the country that measures up to this new Calgary warehouse is the London, Ont., location, which opened last year.
“Robotics increases productivity quite significantly,” says Jha. “What it allows us to do is make the environment safer for our associates, which means they want to work with us and grow with us. It also makes [productivity] more efficient.”
“This new facility doesn’t just showcase Amazon’s commitment to advancing the way the world does business and how companies can more efficiently serve their customers by investing in state of the art technologies as well as their workers,” Smith said at Friday’s ribbon cutting ceremony.
“It also affirms the confidence companies have here in Alberta. Both as a hub of innovation and a place where businesses can grow and thrive.”
With the opening of the 2.8-million square foot warehouse is just off Stoney Trail in southeast Calgary’s East Shepard Industrial area, Amazon Canada now operates five fulfilment centres, one sortation centre, three delivery stations, and two AMXL delivery stations in Alberta.
A few months ago, Amazon opened a similar robotics warehouse just west of Edmonton in Parkland County. That site employes 2,000 people and uses automated stations to improve safety and ergonomics, including ROBIN, a robotic arm that responds to its environment in real time.
At Amazon Robotics fulfilment centres, employees work alongside automated systems and robots to pick, pack, and ship customer orders.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said the new Amazon warehouse is a clear sign of Calgary’s growing prominence on the global stage.
“Calgary is now the fastest growing city in Canada. We are home to the second youngest population in the country. And we are the third most diverse city in this nation,” Gondek said.
“With the creation of over 1,500 jobs at this facility, Amazon is ensuring Calgarians have access to more employment opportunities.”
Amazon said its robotics technology used at YYC4 includes RWC4, a large robotic arm that sorts totes by destination and builds pallets for shipping, and Kermit, a trolley that focuses on towing empty totes throughout the facility and can adjust its speed and route as needed.
Amazon YYC4 general manager Sushant Jha said the new technology will grow business and create more jobs with higher upside for employees.
“It’s here we have an assistance of robots working alongside our associates, making their jobs safer and more inclusive and allow them to develop a career path.”
Jha says once the new centre is fully operational it will employ about 7,500 people in Alberta.
