Karen Ciano, left, and Shawna Couch pack customer orders in cardboard boxes for shipment at the Amazon distribution center in Charleston, Tenn.
Keith Stevens, general manager of the Amazon distribution center in Charleston, Tenn., talks to Charleston Elementary first-graders before giving them a tour of the facility Tuesday. The students' visit was in support of the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation.CHARLESTON, Tenn. - Online retailer Amazon, which already has created 100 more full-time jobs at its distribution center here, will start a holiday seasonal hiring push next month that could double its head count to about 1,000 workers.
The 1 million-square-foot Bradley County distribution center now has more than 500 full-timers as it also has converted over all of its part-time staff.
Keith Stevens, the facility's general manager, said Tuesday the Christmas holiday season is a peak time for the Internet giant.
"We look forward to getting people involved," said Stevens, who opened up the Bradley center for the governor's Books from Birth Foundation bus tour. Seattle-based Amazon this year has given $25,000 to the foundation, which provides books to Tennessee children.
The foundation bus also stopped over at Amazon's Chattanooga fulfillment center, which now employs 2,500 full-time workers and will see a staffing ramp up for the holidays as well, though officials declined to say how many.
Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis said Amazon has topped the 250 employee level it pledged when the company opened its Charleston facility in 2011. He's looking forward to the center hitting the 1,000 number with the seasonal staff up.
Because of the proximity of the Chattanooga location just a few miles from the Bradley County line, a number of people from his county work at the Hamilton County site too, Davis said.
Amazon built Hamilton Place mall-sized centers in Bradley and in Chattanooga in a $139 million investment.
Amazon spokeswoman Nina Lindsey said there will be a lot of seasonal hires, citing the beginning of October for the kick off.
In addition, she said Amazon plans to open a sorting center in Nashville, creating about 100 more permanent jobs. The retailer additionally has Tennessee distribution centers in Murfreesboro and Lebanon.
Unlike the Chattanooga facility, Lindsey said the Charleston center focuses more on larger goods, pointing out two life-size statues. Hot tubs, lawn mowers, grills and a variety of other goods pass through the center, she said.
"Millions and millions [of items] are stored at one time," Lindsey said about the massive center that was erected with enough steel to twice build the Eiffel Tower.
Concerning potential delivery of goods by drone in the future, mentioned by Amazon founder and chief Jeff Bezos earlier this year, she said that's "absolutely" being worked on.
"We're really excited about it. Stay tuned," Lindsey said.
To highlight the foundation's work, 14 Charleston Elementary School children ages 5, 6 or 7 toured the distribution center and listened to a book reading by Stevens.
"We recognize the importance of reading," the general manager said, bringing to mind to Amazon's still important book business. "We believe reading is the key to unlocking the imagination in the child."
Theresa Carl, the foundation's president, cited Amazon's gift, noting that "it's not every day we get a corporate partner who gets it." She said that more than 20 million books have been delivered with the help of the foundation's public-private partnership over its 10 years.
Matt Ryerson, who heads the United Way of Bradley County, said that Amazon is making "a significant investment," adding that there are hundreds of children in the county who will get books every month for the entire year.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.