Amazon creates 4,000 local jobs with £650m North East investment

Over 100 North East business leaders gathered in reception to the news of Amazon’s £650m investment in the region, as it outlined its future plans to help businesses grow via cloud technology.

Speaking at the North East England Chamber of Commerce inaugural Large Business Summit at Sage Gateshead, John Boumphrey, Amazon’s UK country manager, said: “We have created 4,000 jobs since we opened our first North East operation which was a delivery centre in Washington in 2015.

“Now we have also helped more than 1,400 small companies in the region grow their own businesses, creating even more roles.

“Our offer to consumers is well known, but we also support other businesses in many ways: whether that be selling on our store, exporting product to other countries, gaining the benefits of the cloud via Amazon Web Services, taking free digital skills courses, or making use of the free help for entrepreneurs from Amazon Small Business Accelerator”

“We have a firm commitment to the North East as it has everything we look for when we invest – an established consumer demand, good infrastructure, talented workforce and a thriving community where people want to live.”

Representatives from Northumbria Police, Durham University, Changing Lives, Citizens Advice Gateshead and Embracing Care also gave their views on the huge benefits from closer collaboration for economic and social wellbeing of the region in a panel discussion.

Closing the Summit, Chamber chief executive John McCabe noted: “When it comes to investment like Amazon’s we want the North East to be at the front of the queue; the obvious choice.

“That means looking after our people and our businesses today, nurturing the talent of tomorrow, and working to lift that ceiling of opportunity for everyone.”

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