Workers at the Amazon delivery center in Franklin were notified on Oct. 8 that the facility would be closing.
The closing, expected to happen before the end of the year, coincides with a new facility opening in Hayesville.
“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees, customers, partners and drivers,” said Amber Plunkett, Amazon spokesperson. “As we wind down operations at our Franklin facility, we’re working closely with all employees to provide the latest information about transfer opportunities to our other facilities in the area, including to our newest facility in nearby Hayesville, which is slated to open by the end of the year.”
In February of this year, Amazon purchased 19.706 acres on McDonald Road from Clay County.
With the rising customer demand in the region, Plunkett said the new facility will have greater capacity to handle more package volume compared to the Franklin location and will allow for faster delivery of customer orders. She said the closing of the Franklin facility would not impact customers or their deliveries.
When the Amazon delivery hub opened in Franklin in 2023, a company spokesperson said they planned to employ 150 people. Plunkett could not confirm how many people are currently employed at the Franklin facility.
Amazon leased about 15,000 square feet of warehouse space at Tek-Tone in the Macon County Industrial Park. Prior to opening, Amazon made improvements such as additional parking, sidewalks, lighting and site changes to accommodate delivery trucks. The company did not receive any local economic development incentives to locate here.
Hayesville location
Plunkett said Amazon estimates an average of 170 jobs for each new facility they open. “For those in full-time roles, our delivery stations provide an average hourly wage nearly triple the federal minimum and benefits like health care from day one of employment,” she said.
The Clay County Progress reported that the initial resolution to move forward with the sale of the property stated wages were anticipated to meet and/or exceed the median average wage in the county, which is $20.50 per hour, as computed by the N.C. Department of Commerce.
Clay County Board of Commissioners Chair Rob Peck told the Progress that the Amazon proposal “could result in up to 10 full-time jobs and a 100 or more part-time positions. An additional 100 or more jobs would be created by contracting out additional services with a third party.”
Hiring generally starts 30-60 days before a facility is set to open. Plunkett said the information would be posted as the open date gets closer. When the facility in Franklin opened, Amazon held a hiring event. Job openings are posted online at hiring.amazon.com.
Additional driving/delivery opportunities are available through the DSP (Delivery Service Partner) and Amazon Flex programs. DSP and Flex drivers are not Amazon employees. DSP is a program that helps small business owners launch and build a delivery company. Information about applying to become a DSP is available at logistics.amazon.com.
With the Flex program, people use their own vehicles and can work a few hours (usually 3-4) a day delivering packages. Plunkett said people can choose their schedule and it’s a good way to earn extra income.
A post for delivery drivers in Franklin is still listed on the Amazon Flex job site (flex.amazon.com) and a representative for the Amazon Talent Acquisition Team told NC Works they were still hiring at the Franklin location.