Amazon has started construction on its distribution center in Dobrovíz near the Prague airport. The global e-retail giant plans to open the center next summer and employ 2,000 people on long-term contracts, with an additional temporary 3,000 jobs added during high season. The center is being developed by Panattoni Europe at Panattoni Park Prague Airport. The facility will offer 95,000 sqm of usable space. The e-retailer also operates a center for returned goods at the same location, which it opened last year.
The cornerstone was symbolically laid on Friday by the Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek, Tim Collins, Amazon’s vice president of European operations, Pavel Sovicka, managing director of Panattoni Europe Czech Republic, Miloš Petera, hetman of the Central Bohemia region, and Martin Šafr, the mayor of Dobrovíz.
Amazon is planning to build another distribution center in the CEE region. It originally wanted to build its second center in Brno, but could not come to an agreement with city officials and is currently scouting other locations. Speaking in a private session with journalists, Collins said Amazon would be willing to open another facility “wherever we are wanted.” Minister Mladek hinted that he hoped the event would not be Amazon’s last cornerstone laying ceremony.
