Carvana To Build $40M Distribution Hub In Bessemer

Carvana, an online used car dealer based in Tempe, Arizona, recently announced their plans to expand their operations by building a $40 million distribution and fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama. Kay Ivey, Governor of Alabama, confirmed the company’s plans just last week.

Mike Law, a representative for Sunsella, a Las Vegas, Nevada based consumer household products company, recently discussed Carvana’s plans and what it could mean to the ecommerce world. He says, “Ecommerce has definitely grown over the decades. Imagine when people first started buying things online. These were small things like office supplies and promotional products. Now, companies are showcasing cars, houses and larger items online. The entire world of ecommerce has grown substantially over the years and it continues to grow more every year.”

Carvana is well known around the world for its huge vending machines. In 2018, the company was reported to be the fastest growing used car dealer in North America. Last year, the company began discussing its plans to build the distribution and fulfillment center to create jobs and Bessemer was chosen as the location. The company states that it will employ nearly 500 people and that the hug will handle all of the fulfillment activities for not only Alabama, but for the surrounding states, as well. Carvana in Bessemer will coordinate with other facilities to move their inventory from state to state.

“That is, after all, how ecommerce works,” says Law. “Companies ship products all over the world from a central hub. Take our products for instance. We work through the Amazon site, and have products leaving their distribution centers on a daily basis to reach our customers. This will be about the same thing only on a much larger scale, physically.”

The governor of Alabama recently discussed the distribution center stating that it will position Alabama for fast growing ecommerce companies and that the state is happy that Carvana has selected a city in Alabama for their company growth.

Law says that Sunsella is no stranger to the world of ecommerce. The company ships household products to people all over the world, including their very popular BPA free silicone products and many products that are 100 percent stainless steel. Law adds that they have a number of products that have become customer favorites over the years and customers can find these and other items on the company’s website.

Online shopping has grown substantially over the years to now include just about anything one could imagine being available to purchase online. From household items on Amazon to food through various grocery delivery services and even vacations, transportations and more, online shoppers can virtually purchase anything they could possibly need and have those items shipped directly to their homes.

“The holidays are coming up and those are definitely times when ecommerce shows its stuff,” says Law. “Online shopping for Christmas is quickly replacing traditional shopping because shoppers can simply sit comfortably at home and purchase what they need and then just wait for those items to be shipped to them. It is just a convenient way to shop and in many cases, it can actually save consumers money because they do not have to worry about fuel or wear and tear on their vehicles to go shopping.”

Law says that more and more distribution companies are likely to begin building bigger and better facilities as ecommerce continues to grow. Amazon recently discussed plans to build a new distribution warehouse that could put hundreds of people to work and the new Carvana facility expects to employ up to 450 people, with an average salary of around $35,000 or more. Law says that the more ecommerce grows and the more facilities that are needed to accommodate this growth, the better the overall economy will be as more and more people are hired to man these new distribution facilities, meaning more jobs for those who really need them and in areas that need more growth.