Amazon growing, hiring in Findlay

FINDLAY — In the six months since it opened, Amazon's Findlay Delivery Station has grown from 36 employees to 100, and from handling 2,000 packages per day to 10,000. It continues to hire more workers and expand its ability to handle more packages on a daily basis, said Scott Paul, site lead for Amazon's Findlay station. Paul and other company leaders took local officials on a tour of the station Tuesday. Drivers of the vehicles making deliveries to homes within an hour's drive of the station are employed by a contractor, or "delivery service partner." One of those partners is Ironside Logistics, which employs 35 drivers and three managers, said owner-operator Joe Powell. He is looking to add more drivers. "We're always hiring," Powell said. Amazon's Findlay Delivery Station, on Production Drive, west of Bright Road, is a 24/7 operation, Paul said. "Our biggest shift is from 2:30 to 7:15 in the morning," he said. "That's our main sort shift." At 100,000 square feet, the Findlay station is smaller than average for Amazon. Some Amazon stations are as large as 1 million square feet. Others as small as 50,000 square feet. The Findlay station also contains a contemplative suite where workers — when they are punched out — can go to pray, meditate, do yoga or wash their feet. Amazon is committed to using solar and wind energy. It has 19 renewable energy projects in Ohio to support its operations, said T.J. Maloney, senior manager. Most of them are solar projects. Some of the renewable energy projects are located in Putnam and Paulding counties, he said. "Our pledge is that by 2025, 100% of our operations will be with renewable energy," Maloney said. Amazon is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the United States and the world, he said.