Amazon hosts meet and greet ahead of opening of the new Blair facility

It’s been a bit of a bumpy ride getting to this point but the opening of the massive Amazon storage and distribution facility in Blair is now just days away.

Since first being announced the project has faced opposition from local groups worried about the impact the warehouse would have on the community.

With the legal battles behind them, the company celebrated the opening of the facility with a meet and greet with local dignitaries who learned more about the facility and the company’s plans going forward.

First off, it’s giant, coming in at around 1 million square feet — that’s an area equivalent to over 17 football fields.

It sits at the corner of Fountain Street South and Dickie Settlement Road, right next to Highway 401 and will operate as an inventory storage and support facility for fulfilment centers in London, Hamilton and Brampton.

Site lead, Greg Clutton told 570 NewsRadio Kitchener, the company is in the midst of its first round of hiring.

“We’re ramping to 250 jobs in 2024 and we have anticipation that we’ll hire to 1,000 people in 2025 and beyond and we’ll do that based on business needs,” he noted.

Once fully operational, Clutton said around 30 tractor-trailers will move in and out of the center daily. He said the trucks exit the 401 at Fountain, turn down Dickie Settlement and access the facility via Old Mill Road.

One of the main concerns of those opposed to the project was the added traffic. Clutton said this route will have minimal impact on neighbours.

Speaking at today’s event, CEO, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Greg Derocher said this an exciting time for Blair, Cambridge and Waterloo Region and residents should be proud.

“This large, international, incredibly well known company decided to be here. And, I think that’s really important and we as residents and business leaders in this community need to appreciate the fact that they chose us.”

Over the years, Amazon has faced accusations of muscling out smaller retailers but Derocher believes the opposite is true.

“What business recognize clearly is that Amazon is an IT company that is there to help them promote their products around the world. What they should be doing is looking at Amazon as a partner and not a barrier to success.”

The Blair facility is slated to open on Sept. 29.