After abrupt shutdown, Amazon workers plan return

Employees of Amazon’s Republic fulfillment center have been informed the facility will reopen Thursday morning, according to a national spokesperson.

The roughly $25 million, 1.3 million-square-foot building, which opened to fanfare and a visit by the Missouri governor Sept. 27, was closed abruptly when officials discovered mold in the building Oct. 28, according to Richard Rocha, senior public relations manager for Amazon.

Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) announced at the time that the facility was expected to remain closed for the next few weeks due to what Rocha termed an abundance of caution, but he said customers would not notice a delay in deliveries.

“With our large network of facilities in the surrounding areas, there’s been no impact to customers, and orders will continue to arrive on time,” he said.

Rocha previously said scheduled employees would receive full pay during the closure.

Rocha said the mold identified was similar to the type found in a regular household kitchen or bathroom, and nothing more serious was discovered.

Extensive cleaning and inspection of the site has taken place, Rocha said, adding no health issues or concerns have been reported by employees.

Amazon hired 1,400 employees for the Republic center’s launch, and the company previously announced plans to bring on 400 more for the holiday season.