Amazon to bring 950 retail jobs to Scotland
By Jon Whiteaker - 03:45PM - Thu 13th January 2011
First Minister Alex Salmond has today announced to the Scottish parliament that online retail giant Amazon will establish almost 1,000 retail jobs in the country.
In plans which will be further elaborated on later today, Amazon is expect to confirm the creation of 200 new jobs in Gourock in Inverclyde and 750 in Dunfermline, Fife.
Gourock is already home to a Amazon fulfilment centre but it is not clear yet whether the e-tailer intends to build a new centre in Dunfermline.
Salmond announced: “Later today I’ll be making an announcement with one of the world’s leading online companies, Amazon, who intend to create 950 new full-time jobs in Scotland, in two locations, Dunfermline and Gourock.
“I know that the whole chamber will want to welcome such a positive boost for the Scottish economy in this new year.”
And a full announcement fleshing out the details of the deal at an event in Edinburgh Castle this afternoon, is expected to be made jointly by Salmond and Allan Lyall, Vice President of European Operations at Amazon.
Earlier this month ex-Prime Minister and Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP Gordon Brown hinted that an international firm was considering investing in Fife and tipped Fife to attract large business investment in the next few years.
Along with the existing Gourock centre, Amazon also employs hundreds of Scottish residents at sites in Glenrothes and South Queensferry.
These expansion plans will come as welcome good news for the retailer after its CEO of five years Brian McBride had to stand down earlier this month due to health problems.