The former home of Chrysler’s truck plant in Windsor, Ont., Will soon breathe new life when Amazon Canada brings one of its delivery stations to the city.
Company officials confirmed to CTV News that a plot of 27 acres of vacant land owned by Rosati Construction near Central Avenue and Plymouth Drive was purchased on April 1.
Chrysler’s Pillette truck assembly plant worked from this site, building the Dodge Ram Van and Dodge Ram Wagon between 1974 and 2003. The building was demolished the following year.
Dave Bauer, communications manager at Amazon Canada, said the DLC8 delivery station will be located on a newly built stretch of road called Dodge Drive – and is expected to begin operations in 2024. Amazon is targeting its delivery station “DLC8” to start work in 2024 (Sanjay Maru / CTV News)
“The delivery stations are feeding the last mile of the Amazon order process,” Bauer told CTV News.
“The packages are transported to the delivery stations from the Amazon Execution and Sorting Center and then placed in delivery vehicles to customers.
Amazon officials would not reveal exactly how many jobs will be created when its Windsor delivery center opens – but said it varies in the “hundreds”.
“We will have a more accurate number closer to the launch date,” Bauer said.
For Rakesh Naidu, president and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce, Amazon’s presence in Windsor is “great news” that signals a boost to the city’s economic diversification.
“When a global company like Amazon decides to locate, they do their homework. They know what they’re going for and what they can expect from the market,” Naidu said.
“No matter how good we are in a sector, we need to find ways to have a well-rounded economy. Because we are a border region, logistics and warehousing are something that comes second to us.”
Like the link between Stellantis Windsor’s assembly plant and its suppliers, Naidu predicts that the delivery station will have a ripple effect that allows other businesses to thrive.
But this effect will also apply to graduates who may be able to view Windsor as a city to settle in, rather than accepting that they have to look elsewhere to make a living.
St. Clair College has a logistics and supply chain management program. “I think graduates of this program can be very suitable for this type of operation,” Naidu said.
“Windsor can be a great place for students to graduate, settle here and have great careers.”
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