Huge Amazon warehouse opens in Missoula

On Wednesday morning, Gov. Greg Gianforte, Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier and other city officials were in town for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new 72,000-square-foot delivery station. It’s the first operational facility in Montana for Amazon, which is the world’s largest online retailer and the second largest retailer behind Walmart. Amazon reported over $574 billion in sales in 2023, a 12% jump over the previous year.

The facility hired about 100 workers employed by Amazon and supports another 80 third-party contractors who drive the packages to customers within a 50-mile radius in all directions.

“It’s a great day to welcome Amazon to the Treasure State,” Gianforte said. “It’s created 100 good-paying jobs here in Montana. We’re thrilled that Amazon has recognized Montana’s business-friendly environment, our unmatched quality of living, which with that internal policy of letting people transfer anywhere, they may all transfer to Montana. So this facility will provide Montanans with more access to better jobs.”

Gianforte noted that workers at the company have lots of potential for promotions and that the huge warehouse was built by local contractors, including Dick Anderson Construction, PETES Electric, Temp Right Service and True North Steel.

“Our state is made stronger when companies like Amazon choose to do business here,” Gianforte continued.

Gianforte said his administration has pushed through tax cuts and increased incentives for businesses to relocate to Montana. He also said one of his main goals was to cut government rules to make a more business-friendly climate.

“We had to recognize the regulatory regime we had here was really a wet blanket on business,” Gianforte said. “And we went to work for red tape relief efforts to pull those regulations back and have now eliminated or streamlined 20% of all the regulations in the state. We want to make sure we protect public safety and the environment but the excess, we can get rid of that. And every employer also needs a strong workforce. And thanks to the pro-work policies, we have more people working in Montana than ever before.”

The Amazon facility has been open and delivering packages since October. Sam Bailey, an economic development policy manager at Amazon, said the company conducted studies on both the consumer demand and the workforce in Missoula before deciding to put its first delivery station in the state here. A building permit for the warehouse shows that the construction cost was around $8 million.

Strohmaier said the county government and county voters have chosen to invest in infrastructure and amenities, which in turn attracts workers and businesses. He said Missoula’s quality of life, amenities and access to the outdoors make it attractive.

He also said that “less sexy” behind-the-scenes works, such as zoning, creating growth plans and making land use decisions, also makes Missoula County attractive for businesses and “sets the table” for facilities like the Amazon warehouse to be constructed .

“We’re also in a Targeted Economic Development District, which allows investment of tax dollars in infrastructure in this place,” he said. “And were it not for some of those tools, I would hazard a guess that this site would not be nearly as attractive for investors generally and a job-creator such as Amazon as it has been.”

Ellyza Stuart, 22, has worked for the contractor who manages the people who drive the Amazon delivery vans around town. She said she’s been enjoying the job and she’s very happy with the pay.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s super fun. I get to meet a lot of random people and most of them are super nice.”

An Amazon representative said that wages at the Missoula warehouse start at $17 an hour and can go up to $19.40 an hour. The hiring website Indeed says that a driver for an Amazon delivery service partner can make $21-$24 an hour depending on experience.

Amazon’s website states that warehouse associates need to be able to lift up to 49 pounds and use carts, dollies, hand trucks and other gear to move items around.

The warehouse marks a transition point for the makeup of the area’s economy.

Missoula County will lose about 250 jobs this spring because two wood products businesses, Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seeley Lake and Roseburg Forest Products’ Missoula plant, both announced they’re shutting down permanently.