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Amazon officially opened a 2.8 million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center in Charlton, Massachusetts, per a June 3 press release emailed to sister publication Supply Chain Dive.
The four-story facility features hundreds of Amazon robots — which can each lift up to 1,500 pounds — to help more than 1,000 employees fulfill tens of thousands of customer orders, including books, electronics, toys and housewares. About 32 million items are in-stock at the fulfillment center, per the press release.
The more than $300 million investment broke ground in March 2022, with operations beginning in November 2024, per the press release. The investment marks Amazon’s largest investment in Massachusetts. Since 2010, Amazon has poured $23 billion into the state, including eight fulfillment and sortation centers, 17 delivery stations and one Prime Now fulfillment center, per Amazon’s website.
Robotics are critical to Amazon’s advancement strategy and the e-tail giant has been making significant investments in the technology as a way to reduce manual tasks and boost productivity at its facilities. Earlier this year, Amazon unveiled several new robots it aims to deploy throughout its U.S. logistics network.
Amazon’s robots vary in size and function, including Tipper, which transfers packages from carts to conveyor belts. The company recently announced details about its new robot picker dubbed Vulcan, which is equipped with a sense of touch.
In May, Amazon began construction on a robotics facility in Virginia — its fourth in the state. The company is also building a robotics fulfillment center in North Carolina, which is set to open in 2026.