Friday, October 30, 2020 - 11:12 am

Calling it “an exciting day for North Dakota,” Gov. Doug Burgum joined officials in Fargo today as technology company Amazon.com Inc. announced the construction of its first fulfillment center in North Dakota, bringing more than 500 full-time jobs to Fargo with a state-of-the-art operation to pack and ship customer purchases.

Burgum said the project is a testament to North Dakota’s attractive business climate, appealing communities and the strong work ethic of its citizens. He noted Amazon has had a presence in North Dakota for over 20 years, and that more than 2,000 North Dakota businesses and independent authors sell products through Amazon.

“This kind of innovation and technology that gives access to North Dakota small business resellers to sell to people around the world is fantastic,” Burgum said, adding that a project of this magnitude “sends an unmistakable message to the rest of the nation and the world that North Dakota is open for business. We’re ready to compete with anyone, anywhere, anytime with speed and agility to attract the top employers to come here.”

The 1 million-square-foot fulfillment center is expected to launch in 2021.