Amazon Opens New Robot Manufacturing Factory in Massachusetts

October 21, 2021

Amazon has announced the opening of its new robotics manufacturing facility in Westborough, Mass., which will expand Amazon Robotics manufacturing capability in the U.S. The company said it has created more than 200 manufacturing jobs with this facilities.

The company said it began introducing robotics into its facilities in 2012, and has since added more than 1 million new jobs worldwide. Earlier this week, Amazon announced it would hire for 150,000 seasonal jobs, including 1,500 in Massachusetts. Regular, full-time employees will have access to a starting wage that is more than double the federal minimum wage, along with health benefits, paid time off, up to 20 weeks of fully paid parental leave, and more.

With the new site, Amazon Robotics said it will grow its engineering, manufacturing, support, and test teams in Massachusetts. The 350,000-square-foot facility will feature corporate offices, research and development labs, and manufacturing space – in addition to its current site in North Reading, Mass. Together the two facilities will serve as an epicenter of the company’s robotics innovation, the company said.

The primary focus of the facility will be the manufacturing of Amazon Robotics’ mobile drive units. Since 2012, the company has deployed more than 350,000 drive units across its facilities, which lift shelves of products and deliver them to packing stations within a distribution center. The drive units and other robotic technologies work with employees to safely and reliably fill customer orders.

“We care about the communities where we operate,” said Joe Quinlivan, vice president of Amazon Robotics. “This latest addition to Amazon’s presence in the Commonwealth brings great jobs, from hourly manufacturing roles to engineers and developers working on advancements in robotics, to help our facilities run safely and meet our customers’ needs.”

The 350,000-square-foot facility will include corporate offices, research and development labs, and manufacturing space.

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