One of the world’s biggest tech companies is putting down deeper roots in Chicago.
Amazon announced yesterday that it would be doubling the size of its office in the Loop. The expansion comes a little more than a year after the company officially moved into its 35,000 square-foot space in the Franklin.
Given the Windy City’s status as an emerging tech hub, it’s no surprise that the company is rapidly staffing up its local office. Amazon currently employees some 200 people in Chicago spread across three teams: Amazon Web Services, operations and advertising.
The company broke the news in a blog post with a press conference held later in the day. Samantha Singer, general manager of Amazon’s Chicago office, led the press event and was joined at the podium by mayor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois senator Dick Durbin.
Crain’s spoke with Singer about the company’s hiring plans in Chicago, and while no exact details were given, she said Amazon is currently trying to fill about 60 roles. No timeline was shared regarding the hiring push or how many new roles will be open on each team.
In addition to expanding the size of its Chicago office, the e-commerce giant also plans on growing its in-state fulfillment centers. Crain’s reports that over the next 18 months, three new fulfillment centers will open in Monee, Aurora, and Waukegan. Amazon plans to hire some 2,000 workers to staff these facilities, bringing its total fulfillment center workforce in Illinois to 8,000 strong.
In addition to hiring, Amazon also announced a $10,000 donation to Code Platoon, a Chicago-based nonprofit that is only open to veterans. The intensive 16-week developer bootcamp is intended to give vets all the skills they need for a role as a junior developer.
Image via Amazon.
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