Amazon Opening Corporate Office in Detroit

The online retail giant will also be hiring full-time, high-tech employees to fill the position that will be opened by the new office.

According to a report in Crain’s Detroit Business, Peter Faricy, an Amazon Marketplace vice president and University of Michigan alum, said the company plans to expand its 100-person operation that’s already in place at West Jefferson. The office does software development, engineering and advertising sales. With the office to function as a technology focused center, Amazon’s attempts to create a grand technology oriented space will surely help the company lure in more customers.

Amazon has an office near Cobo Center at 150 W. Jefferson, where it occupies about 90 percent of one floor and employs around 100 people, officials said prior to Monday’s press conference.

The company has donated $10,000 and 30 Amazon Fire tablets to Detroit Public Schools for its Carver STEM Academy program.

The Detroit News added that Amazon aims to transform its existing office in Detroit “into a growing technology hub” by 2016. Governor Snyder, Mayor Duggan and other local leaders and Amazon executives are expected to be there.

“We are expanding to multiple floors in our current building to accommodate the goals for our presence in Michigan and hiring plans to bring the great local talent to Amazon”, Faricy said. The school offers a curriculum rich in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to students from pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade. “Having a global company establish a base in our city is another example of how more businesses are seeing Detroit as a good investment”.