Amazon fulfillment center operational in Los Lunas

LOS LUNAS — A grand opening was held Tuesday, Aug. 13, for the recently-completed Amazon fulfillment center in Los Lunas, which officially began operating in mid-July.

A variety of local government leaders and stakeholders attended the grand opening, and were given a tour of the massive facility, which encompasses more than one million square-feet.

Amazon manager of economic development policy Sam Bailey said they currently have more than 1,100 people employed at the Los Lunas facility, and the majority of the new hires are locals, or live within 30 minutes of the facility.

Construction of the in-bound fulfillment center, located on the north side of N.M. 6, west of Meta’s data center, officially began in November 2021.

“A fulfillment center is a place where, if you place an order, the packages start there,” said Amazon U.S. launch leader Derick Logan at an informational event held June 11. “We have major ports all over the U.S., so think of this site as the first stop from those ports. Massive amounts of various different types of product come to the fulfillment center before we start that whole process.”

At the grand opening event, site leader Nikolai Talento highlighted some of the robust benefits offered to employees as well as some of their career advancement and quality-of-life initiatives, such as their career choice program, which helps support continuing education for their employees.

Talento and Bailey also presented a $10,000 check to Valencia Shelter Services at the grand opening.

“We recognize the responsibility we have to our employees, to our customers and to the community,” Talento said.

“Valencia Shelter Services is making a big impact not only in the village, but across the region so this is a start of a partnership with Valencia Shelter Services,” said Bailey.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez also spoke at the event and commended the village of Los Lunas for its ambition, which has led to the village being recognized as one of the fastest growing communities in New Mexico.

Vasquez said Amazon is the latest in a string of national employers to bring their businesses to the state, which, he said, is helping to put New Mexico on the national stage and be a state that’s “ready to compete, and ready for success.”

Los Lunas Mayor Charles Griego noted several local individuals have already transferred from Amazon locations in Albuquerque to the fulfillment center in Los Lunas to be closer to home and closer to their families and their community.

“(Amazon) is a significant presence in our community now with the employment that they’re generating, and it’s great for our community,” Griego said.

“This is just a tremendous economic opportunity,” said Los Lunas senior economic developer Victoria Archuleta. “In a very short amount of time, they have hired hundreds of people and ramped up very quickly and I know as we start going into the fall, they’re going to continue hiring people for seasonal work.”

Archuleta said in a phone interview the village of Los Lunas supports businesses of all sizes, and it’s important to remember that the small, locally-owned and operated shops are the heartbeat of the community.

“I was really grateful to see that Amazon in the first couple of weeks that they’ve been here have been buying from local vendors and supporting local businesses,” said Archuleta. “So I think it’s definitely going to be a ripple effect where everybody is going to win in some way, shape or form from Amazon being here, so it’s really cool to see.”