New warehouses coming to Springfield, bringing 400 jobs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Two exciting projects are coming to Springfield and bringing a new type of industry on a large scale.

Amazon is opening a warehouse fulfillment center and Frito-Lay is opening a warehouse distribution center. The Amazon facility is already under construction and will be located near the corner of North Dirksen and Bissell.

The Frito-Lay building will be off of the Chatham exit on I-55. Combined, the two projects will bring in 400 local jobs.

"Everything in any economy starts with job growth and your community has to have a robust amount of career opportunities to attract residents," said Ryan McCrady, President and CEO of the Springfield-Sangamon Growth Alliance. "So when we increase the number of jobs, we attract more people to live here and we also raise the wages of people who work here."

McCrady says his team has been working hard to market the Springfield area to warehouses. They say the area works well for this type of business because of the workforce and local training programs, easy access to highways and railroads, and the low cost of living for employees.

"You can reach almost a third of the country's population in a one day truck drive from Springfield and that's very significant especially as they're going to be distributing fresh products that have a shelf life, because every day it's on a truck, becomes a day it's not on a shelf being sold," said McCrady.

McCrady said often when a business like this opens in the area, other companies will want to open similar facilities to make use of existing infrastructure.

He added that every new job opportunity means the chance for more money to be spent at local businesses.