YORK COUNTY, S.C. -- Chances are you've probably used Amazon.com before to order books or other merchandise.
It's the largest online retailer in the United States, and now we're getting reports that the company could be setting up operations in York County.
"I've been out (of work) since March of '08. Really looking, I really can't find anything," said Jolene Church as she walked into the unemployment office in Rock Hill.
When an unemployed receptionist like Church hears the rumblings that Amazon.com Inc., may be looking at sites in York County for developing a distribution center, she feels hopeful.
Charlotte Regional Partnership CEO Ronnie Bryant can't confirm that Amazon is shopping around the region, but he did explain why Amazon would find both sides of the Carolina line prime real estate.
"When a company is looking at a distribution center, it's built in proximity to their customer base that they're trying to serve," said Bryant. "You look at how accessible we are at moving goods. We have a major hub airport, two major railroads ... and air cargo services with UPS, FedEx. ... We're three hours away from a major port as well as over 300 trucking firms."
Amazon emerged as an Internet bookselling powerhouse and transformed into an e-commerce giant.
The Charlotte Business Journal reports Amazon is looking for 50 acres in or around York County and could employ 500 workers. That's good news for a county with unemployment topping 15 percent.
The South Carolina Employment Security Commission says they have the best selling point of all -- a workforce pool that's a perfect fit.
"We have plenty of people who have come in who've had the experiences with warehouses, forklifts, packing, distribution centers," said Patricia Jones, assistant area director for the Employment Security Commission office in Rock Hill.
York County already has a distribution center corridor off Interstate 77 on Carowinds Boulevard, including Black & Decker and TJ Maxx.
And if Amazon does move to town, Church wants to make her pitch now: "Oh, if they're out there and need a receptionist, call me."
Amazon.com is based in Seattle. The company's stock trades on the NASDAQ exchange.
