Big Sky Times

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte recently rolled out the welcome mat for Amazon, which is opening its first facility in the state in Missoula.

The 72,000-square-foot delivery station, according to a news release from the governor’s office on Dec. 16, will be located northwest of Missoula at 9121 Cartage Road. The station will receive orders from larger Amazon sites nationwide and send vans to deliver packages to customers’ homes, in what is known as the “last mile” of the delivery process.

“Today’s a great day for Montana as we welcome Amazon to the Treasure State,” Gianforte said in the news release. “We’re thrilled Amazon has recognized Missoula’s business-friendly environment, unmatched quality of life, and hardworking and talented workforce, and look forward to the 100 good-paying jobs their investment will bring to Missoula.”

Amazon Spokesperson Leigh Anne Gullett said in the news release that the new station will connect Montanans to the company’s national network.

“We look forward to bringing faster and more efficient package delivery to Montana residents, as well as to growing our partnerships with businesses and community organizations in the area,” she said in the release.

According to the governor’s news release, a number of Montana-based companies have come together for the Amazon construction project, including Dick Anderson Construction, GroundSpeed Concepts, Temp Right Service Inc., True North Steel, PETES Electric and Hyalite Engineers.