Amazon: 6 sites in Hauts-de-France

Amazon’s new facility in Hauts-de-France: 80 jobs to play for

The American e-commerce and distribution giant continues to expand in France.

And it has chosen Avion (near Lens) to set up its new delivery centre.

80 people will be recruited to work at the site as well as 200 indirect jobs being generated. “We were looking for a new site to meet the demands of our customers. This centre will mainly serve the Lens sector, but it will also cover the Pas-de-Calais and part of the North.” explains Amazon. Initial operations are expected to start in November in anticipation of the increased activity brought on by the end of year celebrations.

Amazon is committed to sustainable development

With a surface area of 9,400m2 the future site at Avion will strive to be sustainable by:

• Providing 40% of green spaces
• Installing solar panels
• Controlling energy consumption

It is aiming for Breeam certification at “very good” level. (This is British standard for assessing the environmental impact of buildings.)

The parcel delivery service must commit to group’s “Shipment Zero” programme which aims to make all shipments net zero carbon.

To achieve this, Amazon plans to “deliver to Lens city centre in clean vehicles, while making a positive contribution to local employment” according to Ronan Bolé, Amazon France Logistics Director.

Hauts-de-France, Amazon’s region of choice for warehousing

45% of the total surface area of Amazon’s warehouses in France are concentrated in the region, making Hauts-de-France the American giant’s number 1 choice.

In 2013, Amazon opened its first location in Hauts-de-France with the help of Nord France Invest. 7 years later, the region confirmed its appeal for logistics and distribution with 6 sites, representing more than:

• 300 000 m²
• 3,300+ permanent employees

Amazon in Hauts-de-France now boasts:

• 3 distribution centres:
  o Boves – 107,000m² / 770 jobs on permanent contracts
  o Lauwin-Planque – 90,000m² / 1,880 jobs on permanent contracts
  o Senlis – 55,000m² / 390 jobs on permanent contracts
• 1 sorting centre
  o Lauwin-Planque – 30 000m² / 180 jobs on permanent contracts
• 2 delivery agencies – 140 jobs on permanent contracts
  o Sainghin-en-Mélantois – 12 000m²
  o Avion – 9 400m² (opening November 2020)

Why does Amazon bet on Hauts-de-France?

• A direct access to the european market
• Quality infrastructure
• A large, skilled workforce at a competitive cost

Find out more about the logistics sector in Hauts-de-France.

Source : la Voix du Nord, Amazon