Amazon plans to formally open its first robotics-enabled fulfillment center in southeastern North Carolina on Oct. 5, bringing new fulfillment and delivery operations to the Cape Fear region and creating more than 1,100 full-time jobs, company officials said.
Ribbon cutting scheduled in Wilmington
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Amazon Robotics Sortable Fulfillment Center will take place at 101 Vitamin Drive in Wilmington. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Oct. 5, according to the company. An adjacent delivery station will open alongside the fulfillment center; together, the two facilities represent Amazon’s first direct-to-consumer operations in the Cape Fear area.
State and local officials are expected to attend the ceremony, including North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley, who has served in that role since January 2025. Also listed among scheduled attendees are Amazon Vice President of Economic Development Holly Sullivan, state Sen. Michael Lee, Pender County Commission Chair Randy Burton and Wilmington Business Development CEO Scott Satterfield.
What the new facility will do
Amazon describes the site as a robotics-sortable fulfillment center. The facility will use robotics alongside human employees to sort and prepare customer orders for shipment, a configuration Amazon has deployed in other markets to increase throughput and efficiency. The company said the combination of the fulfillment center and delivery station will form its first direct-to-consumer presence in the Cape Fear region.
- Location: 101 Vitamin Drive, Wilmington
- Opening event: Oct. 5, ribbon cutting begins at 11 a.m.
- Jobs: More than 1,100 full-time positions
Local economic implications
The arrival of Amazon’s fulfillment and delivery operations is likely to have immediate implications for the local labor market and logistics infrastructure. A facility of this size typically draws new employees from the surrounding region and supports ancillary services such as transportation, maintenance and local supply vendors. The presence of robotics in the operation also signals the company’s continued investment in automated warehousing technologies across its fulfillment network.
Officials from state government were invited to the ribbon-cutting, underlining the project’s significance to North Carolina’s economic development agenda. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley’s attendance highlights the state-level interest in attracting large-scale logistics and distribution investments that can expand workforce opportunities and regional economic activity.
What to expect at the site
Amazon has described the center as a sortable fulfillment facility, meaning orders will be organized and prepared for shipment using a mix of automated systems and staff. Adjacent delivery stations typically serve as the last-mile staging points where packages are sorted for distribution to local delivery partners or Amazon drivers for final delivery.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 101 Vitamin Drive, Wilmington |
| Event | Ribbon cutting, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. |
| Employment | More than 1,100 full-time workers |
Details released by Amazon indicate that the company expects the new operations to integrate with its broader national network of fulfillment and delivery sites. The company’s decision to establish a direct-to-consumer presence in Wilmington marks an expansion of service capacity in southeastern North Carolina.
Community members and job seekers interested in employment opportunities at the new center should check Amazon’s careers website and local job postings for hiring announcements and job fair information. Additional specifics about shift schedules, wage rates and benefits were not included in the company’s summary announcing the opening.
The Oct. 5 event will offer an early look at how Amazon’s robotics-enabled model will operate in the Cape Fear region and will be watched by state and local economic development officials as an example of private investment in regional logistics and workforce development.
