New Amazon distribution center being built near airport in Ashland
ASHLAND, Mo. (KMIZ)
Jobs are being posted on hiring sites for the new Amazon distribution center in Ashland. At least one job -- for an information technology position -- had been posted online as of Thursday.
The distribution center will be built at the Cartwright Business and Technology Center. MidwayUSA's founder Larry Potterfield created the park; it sits on 477-acres of land.
Potterfield said he bought some farm in the area in previous years, later had it developed and built two spec buildings on the land. Potterfield said Amazon took interest and bought the 50,000 square foot building and land it sits on.
Potterfield says he turned down people who showed interest in the building.
"Somebody wanted to use it just for warehousing and we said warehousing doesn't create any jobs, we don't want it just for warehousing so those are the types of things we turned down and waited for the right occupant if you would," said Potterfield.
Ashland Mayor Richard Sullivan confirmed this week Amazon's plan to build a distribution center at the Cartwright Industrial Park near the Columbia Regional Airport. Sullivan said an existing building will be retrofitted and expanded.
One person who's lived in Ashland for 28 years says they never had anything like it the area there and it will keep people from traveling so far for work. Potterfield says it's all about decisions and feels he made the right oneÂ
"I've made lots and lots of decisions in my career, most of them I'm proud of, I won't be able to talk about the ones I'm not but the Cartwright Park decision and Amazon as a tenant, I'm proud of both of those decisions, " Potterfield said.
Site plans show the campus will include about 300 parking spaces, including 20 for loading box trucks and 28 for vans. Amazon has not announced an official date they will open for operation.
