Amazon is planning to build a 3.1 million square-foot robotics fulfillment center (RFC) in Virginia, which will be used to pack and ship smaller items such as books, electronics and toys.

According to a May 14 release from Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the Goochland County facility will be staffed by 1,000 employees who will work alongside automated robots to pick and pack products. Scheduled to open in 2027, this will be Amazon's fourth robotics fulfillment center in Virginia, with the first having opened in 2022 in Suffolk, followed by a second in Virginia Beach set to open later in 2025, and a third in Henrico County opening in two years. 

“Virginia continues to be a great home for Amazon thanks to its robust infrastructure, talented workforce, and supportive business environment,” Amazon vice president Holly Sullivan said. 

Amazon also has robotics fulfillment centers in Louisiana and Texas, and announced another new facility in North Carolina in March. In total, the retailer estimates that it has 100 RFCs across the United States, all of which are equipped with a variety of automated robots capable of lifting heavy pallets, carrying and moving inventory pods, and organizing items stored in rows of compartments.

In early May, Amazon also introduced its new Vulcan robot, which can sense the size and shape of items by touch, and pick and stow those items from hard-to-reach rows of bins. The company plans to deploy Vulcan at U.S. and European fulfillment centers sometime in the next couple years, with one currently in operation at a warehouse in Spokane, Washington, and another being tested at a facility in Hamburg, Germany.