Amazon announced their search for a second headquarters location Thursday, and Mayor Jim Strickland said Memphis could become a new home for the company.
Strickland replied to USA Today’s tweet regarding the news of expansion and expressed Memphis’ interest in the project.
“We’re on it,†Strickland tweeted. “We’ll absolutely make a bid. The @CityOfMemphis has so much to offer!â€
The new project, dubbed HQ2, will be the company’s second headquarters in North America. In their Request for Proposal form, Amazon stated they are primarily looking for a “stable, business-friendly environment†with the “potential to attract and retain strong technical talent and a creative community.â€
Amazon is rooted in Seattle, and from 2010 to 2016, the company said that their investments resulted in an additional $38 billion to the city’s economy.
The company will invest over $5 billion in construction to the new location. “HQ2†is expected to create as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs and billions in investment to the surrounding community. Amazon stated they reached out publically to find a city that is excited to work with them and where “everyone can benefit.â€
Anyone who wants a warehouse, like HQ2, would like an established environment, said Satish Mehra, a professor in the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Memphis already has an established transport system, with the inclusion of FedEx and UPS.
Another benefit to transport is the cross-section between Interstate 40 and Interstate 55. Memphis is not located in a “danger-zone,†where natural disasters could hinder business. The city is also in a central location, which is advantageous for distribution across the country, Mehra said.
The distribution process does not require an elite workforce, so the opportunity for non-college educated individuals to receive work is increased, according to Mehra.
“Given that Amazon is a respectable company, they would probably like to create a productive environment for the long run,†Mehra said.
Amazon building a warehouse in Memphis would create a positive impact, and it could hire and train people the way they wanted and hopefully provide benefits, Mehra said.
“I’m worried about the economic situation going down,†Mehra said. “However, if [Amazon] did decide to settle here, it will pour in a good amount of money into the economy and uplift the standard of living.â€
“I think [Amazon is] quite sincere in what they do,†Mehra said. “They are very progressive, or they wouldn’t succeed.â€
Several students at the University of Memphis gave their thoughts on why Amazon settling in the Bluff City would be beneficial to the community.
“It’d be cool because it would mean we’d get to try a lot of their pilot programs, like their immediate drone delivery system and the fresh food grocery delivery stuff,†Drew Carmichael, a sophomore English major, said.
Makenzie White, a junior biology major, said Memphis would be a great choice since it is already a hub for packages and is centrally located.
“Memphis has a really big issue with jobs,†Grace Delgado, a senior fashion merchandising major, said. “We have so many minimum-wage jobs, but we don’t have enough big businesses here to bring corporate jobs to promote growth.â€
Others said Memphis, as an option for HQ2, is not realistic.
“I just don’t think that we have a big pull-factor in terms of expansion,â€Â Cameron Jones, a sophomore history major, said. “It would employ more people, but I doubt that many would move here.â€
