Amazon opens its new Salt Lake City center — and it is loaded with robots

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and other officials got a glimpse Wednesday of the sheer robotic power of Amazon's new 855,000-square-foot customer fulfillment center in Salt Lake City, the first of its kind in Utah.

After attending a grand opening for the center at 777 N. 5600 West, Herbert and others toured the building and saw displays of a host of new automation technologies that nearly 1,500 full-time Amazon employees will eventually use to fulfill customer orders for the Seattle-based online shopping giant.

Employees will pick, pack and ship customer items such as books and electronics from the facility. Amazon said those new jobs will earn competitive wages and a comprehensive package of benefits.

Mike Taylor, general manager of the fulfillment center, said the new building reflected the company’s commitment to long-term investment in the Salt Lake City area.

And in officially welcoming Amazon to Utah, Herbert predicted the company’s investment in the city’s northwest quadrant would be “a significant driver for our economy and help diversify our business climate.”