How Amazon fulfillment centers support their local communities

Amazon’s Baltimore City Fulfillment Center, known as BWI2, does far more than pick, pack, and ship several hundred thousand orders for customers across Maryland and the surrounding region every day. It also contributes to the economic health of the local community, empowering area-businesses to sell to thousands of customers, and employs more than 2,500 full-time personnel.

Fulfillment is about more than shipping

Today, BWI2 stretches over 1 million square feet, about the size of 28 football fields. Inside, it holds tens of millions of products and more than 14 miles of conveyor belts.

“Amazon fulfillment centers like this one are very involved with the community,” says Preet Virdi, Director of Operations for BWI2. “In addition to employing more than 2,500 full-time Amazon associates, we work very closely with over 41,000 small businesses in the state of Maryland.”

To efficiently and accurately pick, pack and ship all those products, BWI2 uses state-of-the-art fulfillment technology.

“Businesses selling on Amazon Business can leverage our world class logistics network and our state-of-the-art fulfillment technology,” says Virdi.

Hiring local and training for technical jobs

With its robotics technology, Amazon Business has created new categories of technical jobs, such as Amazon Robotics Technicians.

To prepare employees for this role, BWI2 provides a three-month “Associate to Technician” training program. After completing the program, associates take a test to receive an industry-recognized IT certification, giving them the credentials needed to grow their careers. In addition, Amazon guarantees each graduate a position as an IT technician in the fulfillment center.