Amazon: The Thread | 5,000 Jobs | 1M SQFT in Nashville Yards

[jmtunafish]

Don't forget that there's a very, very good engineering school just an hour east of Nashville that churns out a lot of skilled, techie graduates every year.  It's what helped lure SAIC to bring 300+ high-paying IT jobs to Cookeville.  Between TTU to the east of Nashville and UAB to the south of Nashville, plus the 120,000+ college students directly within the Nashville metro, I think there would be plenty of IT people who would be ready for Amazon in Nashville.

https://www.tntech.edu/news/releases/saic-providing-opportunities-for-tennessee-tech-graduates

 

[titanhog]

You have the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus in Smyrna across from Nissan (it's huge).  I don't know what all type of "technology" they focus on...but it says "Technology." 

 

[NashvilleObserver]

Surely people from all over the country will be applying to work at the new Amazon headquarters, in the tech field. People today, especially millenials are far more apt to relocate for a good position. Why is local talent such an issue when there will be masses of people happily willing to relocate for a change to work at Amazon headquarters? I know its logistically easier to recruit local talent for certain positions, but the higher-up tech opportunities will be seized by people from across the US and beyond. Seems to me that a large amount of reasonably-priced housing, and a good airport would be far more important than the amount of local tech workers. 

[timmay143]

5 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

Don't forget that there's a very, very good engineering school just an hour east of Nashville that churns out a lot of skilled, techie graduates every year.  It's what helped lure SAIC to bring 300+ high-paying IT jobs to Cookeville.  Between TTU to the east of Nashville and UAB to the south of Nashville, plus the 120,000+ college students directly within the Nashville metro, I think there would be plenty of IT people who would be ready for Amazon in Nashville.

https://www.tntech.edu/news/releases/saic-providing-opportunities-for-tennessee-tech-graduates

 

Do you mean UAH?

[memphian]

TSU has a new concentration in Hospitality Management in their College of Business. That should be promising since they're addressing a local industry in-need.  WKU, UT, and UM (Memphis) all have hospitality degree programs, too.

In hospitality it matters where you study. The aforementioned programs aren't highly-regarded yet (some are kind of new so they still need to make a name). The good news is that Nashville has a much wider draw than the geographic footprint of these programs so we're likely to be on the radars of graduates from the more celebrated programs like Houston, Purdue, and Central Florida.

On the engineering side I wonder if we also have a large number of GA TECH and VA TECH graduates in the area? When I was an undergrad at TN TECH it was common practice to go on to GA or VA for a masters degree. 

High-paying jobs are a definitely a "build it and they will come" type of thing. But then again corporations are sometimes pretty dumb when locating corporate campuses. 

[SoundScan]

4 hours ago, Hey_Hey said:

My point is not to say that Amazon isn't heavy in tech. My point is that, at this point, tech is nowhere near the biggest piece of their business.  In that way it is similar to a company like HCA. HCA specializes in healthcare delivery, but to do that they are very heavily involved in tech to support the core business.  Just compare Amazon to Google (which I think everyone agrees is much more tech centric): Google had annual revenues of $72 billion in 2016 and has 72,000 employees.  Amazon had $136 billion in revenue and currently has ~350,000 employees.  Amazon doesn't have an additional 278,000 employees that are all working on software and tech gadgets.  Those employees are working in the logistics side of the business as well as the retail and customer service side. Amazon now even has TV and movie production in house.  Amazon web services makes up only 7.5% of total revenue for the company (although it does make up a majority of profits) and the amazon prime subscription service provided only 1.4% of revenue.  The vast majority of their revenue comes from their retail side.

Clearly, Amazon has tons of experience in tech. However, at the rate they are growing they could fill HQ2 with 50,000 employees just to support their retail and logistics side. And that's my point. I don't think Amazon has to have a city that has a deep tech bench because going forward they will increasingly spend more and more resources on non tech things.  I think that is why a city like Nashville actually has a chance. 

How is Google more "tech-centric" exactly? Based upon your reasoning they are an advertising company. Facebook is also an advertising company. Twitter too. That's their core business.  Why aren't they lumped in with traditional advertising outfits? HCA is using technology to support their core business, while these companies (Amazon included) are using technology to create their core businesses, to disrupt traditional markets and business models and create new markets. That's what makes them "tech" companies first; they use technology to drive everything else. Do you think the Whole Foods acquisition was because Amazon wants to run a traditional grocery store chain? Check out Amazon Go if you think so.

I do agree with your overall point (I think) in that Nashville has a decent pool of existing tech talent and some interesting up-and-coming technology companies, I just don't really understand the HCA analogy. They're a legacy hospital chain in an industry rivaled by perhaps only the U.S. government in it's inefficiency and administrative bureaucracy. Is HCA using technology to try to improve and drive growth of a traditional model? Of course, but that doesn't make them a "tech" company any more than Walmart having an online shopping site makes them a "tech" company. 

[jmtunafish]

1 hour ago, timmay143 said:

Do you mean UAH?

whoops!  Yes, sorry about that.  I definitely meant UAH.

[Rockatansky]

18 hours ago, NashvilleObserver said:

 People today, especially millenials are far more apt to relocate for a good position.

From what I've read recently, this isn't the case. More people are staying put than say 20-30 years ago.

[markhollin]

"It could take at least $1.7 billion of taxpayer incentives for Nashville to successfully woo the massive second headquarters that Amazon.com Inc. wants to build — according to a newly published analysis that was done by Metro employees."

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2017/10/06/analysis-it-could-cost-nashville-1-7b-to-land.html

 

Full report here:

https://socrata.com/blog/amazon-hq2-open-data-informs-nashvilles-decision-bid/

 

[Guest]

This definite ups Nashville's profile...

 

Amazon to sell prescription drugs

[urbanplanet17]

6 hours ago, Rockatansky said:

From what I've read recently, this isn't the case. More people are staying put than say 20-30 years ago.

The catch is getting companies to pay for relocation assistance. Most places aren't really hiring non-local employees in the post-Great Recession era.

It's very risky moving to a new area on your own without a job lined up.

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by urbanplanet17

[urbanplanet17]

On 10/5/2017 at 8:48 AM, Flatrock said:

Just curious what sources you are basing this statement on? I ask this because there are multiple sources stating that Nashville is, in fact, an up and coming tech 'player'.  I'd posit Nashville is well-situated for substantial tech growth, so quite the opposite of - "isn't that good".

One such example; this article from FORBES in the spring of 2017 - ranking us as #7 in the country out of the 43 largest MSA's. The key word here is "creating".  Cities ahead of us like San Fran, San Jose, Austin, Charlotte, Indy and Raliegh Durham are creating lots of jobs with a healthy existing tech scene. Some cities in the study appear to be counter-intuitive (Detroit). Some cities (San Fran and others) are losing lots of tech jobs even while creating them - to lower tax/cost cities (like to Nashville, for example).

People seem to forget that Detroit is still the world's center for Automotive research and development. In addition to Ford / GM / Chrysler, Toyota , Nissan and Mercedes-Benz' technical centers are all based in Detroit area. 

It just so happen this industry basically cratered during the Great Recession and wasn't really hiring or engaging in a ton of investment for a long time. But it's no longer 2010 and the auto companies are fiscally healthier than they ever been (and begging for Tech / Engineering talent).

Edited October 6, 2017 by urbanplanet17

[NashRugger]

Detroit, while not in the best of financial shape still, it is a fairly cheap place to do business and the real estate market there is fairly affordable and ripe for the picking. Plus, I truly think it'll be a great renaissance story of a once massive city contracting and then reinventing itself into a healthier, more balanced municipality.

Detroit and Saint Louis are my two dark horse candidates.

Edited October 7, 2017 by NashRugger

[Binbin98]

i have good news everyone.

 

i am applying for and potentially getting a amazon internship during summer 2018 in amazon London. This isn't a joke I seriously am applying for it, however I don't know if i will get in but if I do I can potentially be a whistleblower about any info regarding there new second headquarters in America. Just a heads up for everyone. I also am not sure when the announcement will be made but if it's in summer 2018 then never mind.

[Pyramid Scheme]

12 hours ago, Binbin98 said:

i have good news everyone.

 

i am applying for and potentially getting a amazon internship during summer 2018 in amazon London. This isn't a joke I seriously am applying for it, however I don't know if i will get in but if I do I can potentially be a whistleblower about any info regarding there new second headquarters in America. Just a heads up for everyone. I also am not sure when the announcement will be made but if it's in summer 2018 then never mind.

Just don't share anything you're not supposed to. As popular as you would become on here, you don't want to compromise your chances with a good potential employer.

[Binbin98]

1 hour ago, Philip said:

Just don't share anything you're not supposed to. As popular as you would become on here, you don't want to compromise your chances with a good potential employer.

I agree I just was making a little bit of a bad joke  it might not even happen where i get the job, but if it does I will only report rumours/side comments and not actual facts

[Rockatansky]

On 10/6/2017 at 2:30 PM, markhollin said:

Full report here:

 

https://socrata.com/blog/amazon-hq2-open-data-informs-nashvilles-decision-bid/

 

Dead link.

[tragenvol]

On 10/5/2017 at 3:13 PM, titanhog said:

You have the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology campus in Smyrna across from Nissan (it's huge).  I don't know what all type of "technology" they focus on...but it says "Technology." 

Mostly hands on technical programs, i.e. Mechatronics, Machining, Automotive and etc.....not anything Amazon is interested in.....yet....but  this TCAT does have ping pong tables upstairs.....

 

 

[urbanplanet17]

On 10/8/2017 at 8:23 PM, Binbin98 said:

i have good news everyone.

 

i am applying for and potentially getting a amazon internship during summer 2018 in amazon London. This isn't a joke I seriously am applying for it, however I don't know if i will get in but if I do I can potentially be a whistleblower about any info regarding there new second headquarters in America. Just a heads up for everyone. I also am not sure when the announcement will be made but if it's in summer 2018 then never mind.

Last I heard, the annoucement is going to be made long before you potentially start (possibly as early as January).

Good luck with this opportunity!

Edited October 10, 2017 by urbanplanet17

[Binbin98]

I have revised my prediction regarding Amazon now

If I was Bezos I would SERIOUSLY be considering Nashville now, mainly because there are now two major developments planned near Nashville, which seem to be ripe for a new amazon or other corporate headquarters. They also seem to be able to be linked by mass transit to downtown Nashville and back, and can be also pedestrian linked to other areas of Nashville. Point being, these new developments being avaliable for amazon to choose seems like a huge advantage for us when it comes to potentially landing amazon, however who knows what the company will do in the end.

[PillowTalk4]

I just wanted to add something else about Amazon to the tech discussion that I may have missed, so sorry if this has been discussed.   Amazon is also a bigger builder of Data Centers.  I worked as a contract employee in the Data Center division for Amazon for a year in the northern Virginia area.   They have numerous Data Centers in Northern Virginia,  the San Francisco area, Seattle area, and many many other parts of the country and throughout the world.  It's not as glamorous as their retail side, but it is a major component of their business.   It used to be hard to find out about that side of their business.  Even the agency that contacted me about the contract position didn't tell me the full details regarding the entity of Amazon I'd be working in.  I assumed it was related to the retail side.  It had nothing at all to do with the retail side.  But keep in mind they will need far more than tech employees, especially in a corporate office.

Let me also add not to underestimate the value of all of the universities and colleges in the Nashville area as a pool for Amazon.  They have a really diverse employee base.  Not only in ethnicity but also in the degrees.  Yes, there are a lot of people with engineering and business degrees.   But, I worked with people with degrees in law, education, arts, social and psychology disciplines, and more from large and small colleges all across the country.   When I worked there I met an employee who graduated from TSU and another from Vandy.  The TSU grad informed me that there were other TSU grads that he knew of in other locations across the country.  He also knew another Vandy grads as well.   So I can see how graduates from all of Nashville's colleges and universities could benefit Amazon.  Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Belmont, Fisk,  and Lipscomb will definitely be schools Amazon will target.  APSU, MTSU and TTU will also be part of the talent pool.  And, yes UTC, UTK, UTM and UM will be part of the talent pool.  Even Nashville State Community College will be included.   Employers like Amazon don't look to just a local market for talent.  It is where they will start.  I think Nashville is already a pretty good starting point for Amazon.   It is certainly a market where they can actively build the talent as well because of the existing higher educational resources already available and the diversity within those resources.

I'm hoping that either Nashville or Prince George's County, MD will be the location Amazon picks.  

[smeagolsfree]

As I continue to watch all the speculation here about Amazon I get a dose of reality every time I look at an article. This one does not show Nashville in the top 20. Don't get too excited over this guys, because I really do think we have any kind of chance.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazons-next-move-these-cities-are-top-contenders-for-its-new-hq-—-and-50000-jobs/ss-AAsTzV2?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

 

 

[Flatrock]

9 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

As I continue to watch all the speculation here about Amazon I get a dose of reality every time I look at an article. This one does not show Nashville in the top 20. Don't get too excited over this guys, because I really do think we have any kind of chance.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazons-next-move-these-cities-are-top-contenders-for-its-new-hq-—-and-50000-jobs/ss-AAsTzV2?ocid=spartanntp

 

Frankly, the list referenced by your link did not seem credible in my (very limited) opinion on the subject. I'm thinking it's odd to have 3 or 4 California cities on that list (taxes, cost of living, earthquake prone, overhead, etc). It's odd to have NYC (cost of living, taxes, overhead, etc) and Chicago (taxes, crime, state/city headed to bankruptcy, etc) . After Harvey, I'm pretty surprised these smart people would include Houston. Denver, maybe, but too far West.  No Charlotte. Toronto? Maybe, and I don't know much - but I think this thing lands in America for many reasons: taxes, exchange rate, cost of housing in Toronto is horrendous, foreign government risk (anti-business legislation, etc). 

Please, I'm not suggesting we have a significant chance, but I'm definitely suggesting that we have a chance, albeit small. 

[smeagolsfree]

I am thinking this may just be a throw of the dice. They may just see who gives them the most money.

[Binbin98]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

As I continue to watch all the speculation here about Amazon I get a dose of reality every time I look at an article. This one does not show Nashville in the top 20. Don't get too excited over this guys, because I really do think we have any kind of chance.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazons-next-move-these-cities-are-top-contenders-for-its-new-hq-—-and-50000-jobs/ss-AAsTzV2?ocid=spartanntp

 

 

 

 

I am just as skeptical as the next guy, but in all fairness the chances of us getting Amazon shouldn't be measured on articles alone, because quite frankly most of them don't know where bezos is going either. I have seen many articles that put Nashville in the top ten most likely choices for relocation, and a few that haven't. In the end I really feel if Amazon is wanting to set up in and transform a city's economy using their presence, Nashville would be a good choice for doing so, however if they don't want to risk a potential economic loss by moving to a city, I expect them to move to a big city in america that already has other companies headquartered there.