Love/Hate Relationship Between Wisconsin and Amazon

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 -- 9:00 AM

(By Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin recently joined 16 other states and the Federal Trade Commission in suing Amazon for using unfair strategies to maintain monopoly power, as the company continues to expand its presence in the state.

According to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Public Radio, a few weeks before Wisconsin joined the suit, it was revealed that Amazon would build a new distribution center in Weston, near Wausau. The center will provide up to 100 jobs to the community.

The lawsuit and Weston announcement come as Amazon has faced criticism in recent years for unsafe working conditions at its warehouses. Since 2010, the company says it has invested $9.5 billion in Wisconsin on infrastructure and employee compensation, creating 12,000 full- and part-time jobs in the state.

The company’s main investments in Wisconsin include six fulfillment and sorting centers, 10 delivery stations, three Whole Foods Market locations, one Amazon Hub Locker+ location and two Prime Now fulfillment centers, according to a spokesperson.

The facility in Weston will be part of the company’s "last mile network," and will help ensure products with one- or two-day delivery make it to their destinations at the expected time, according to Jason Vangalis, Economic Development Policy manager at Amazon.

"Last mile facilities are really designed to bring the package to the customer," he said. "They don't store any product, it's all going to be packaged up and ready to go. There's a label printed on it, and then the drivers will take the packages and deliver them to the customer."

Vangalis said Amazon’s investments in the state, from Weston in central Wisconsin to Greenville in the Fox Valley and Kenosha in southeast Wisconsin, are designed to help the company deliver for its customers.

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