Youngkin, local leaders laud Amazon's impact on Henrico, region

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin headed up the dignitaries who celebrated the official opening of Amazon's Richmond Fulfillment Center in Henrico County March 25, as he participated in ceremonies that included a ribbon-cutting and the presentation of a flag that had flown over the Virginia Capitol.

But it was the Henrico officials who were in full celebration mode at the event, citing the benefits of Amazon's educational programs, job opportunities, charitable contributions and local school partnerships.

Noting that another locality had fought for the fulfillment center, but that Henrico was ultimately victorious, State Senator Lamont Bagby pointed out that the Amazon site was a "package" that county leaders had been wanting for a long time.

"I grew up a mile this way," Bagby added while pointing east, then west, "and went to high school a mile that way. So this community is important to me."

The Amazon center lies in a corridor that lacks banks and grocery stores, Bagby said, "and it's somewhat of a food desert."

Area residents deserve not only the job opportunities, wages, and benefits that a place like Amazon can bring, Bagby continued.

"They also deserve a community with a grocery store. This is going to help."

Visitors who toured the massive facility got a peek at the choreography that takes place inside, as robots and humans worked side by side to transfer items from storage into packaging destined for buyers. Robotic arms named Robins picked items off conveyor belts, while dozens of Pegasus robots scurried about on the floor.

Much was made of the fact that the 2.7-million-square-foot facility – the largest building in Central Virginia – could contain 46 football fields within its walls.

"Forty-six football fields! That means we need 96 teams," joked Youngkin.

"I'm looking forward to walking all 46 football fields," declared Bagby. "But more importantly, I'm looking forward to building this community."

Describing the ripple effect that Amazon will continue to have on the local economy, Youngkin echoed Bagby's hopes for the growth that the facility is expected to spur.

"When Amazon throws a pebble [in the pond]," Youngkin asserted, "it's really a boulder."