2 locals take leadership roles at El Paso Amazon fulfillment center
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The huge center in the fastest growing area of El Paso has been in operation for nearly two years.
In the past 17 months, Amazon has grown to a fully operating fulfillment center with thousands of employees.
Two men who grew up in the Borderland have leadership roles at the global technology company's El Paso location, also known as ELP1.
Jon Kot, the general manager, graduated from Franklin High School.
At 30 years old, Kot has set up a total of six fulfillment sites in Texas, Nevada and California before he returned home and launched ELP1.
Amazon's El Paso location is considered one of the company's technologically advanced centers.
"We have some of the latest and greatest robotics and some of the coolest innovations that we are making for customers," Kot said.
Mauricio Garcia, the assistant general manager, has been by Kot's side since ELP1 launched in November 2021.
Garcia grew up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and crossed the border to visit loved ones in El Paso.
The former Juarense began working at Amazon after college.
He's launched two fulfillment centers in Mexico City.
Six years later, Garcia returned to the Borderland when he learned Amazon had plans to expand in El Paso.
Garcia knew he always wanted to work for Amazon.
The two locals currently oversee operations on all five floors and manage over 2,000 employees.
Kot and Garcia were part of the planning when Amazon was looking at El Paso.
"We were able to give our input as to what would and wouldn't work because we are from the area" Garcia said.
Amazon employees at the 2.5 million square-foot fulfillment center in El Paso, not 625,000 square feet as Amazon officials previously reported, work alongside robotics that pick, pack and ship items to customers.
Kot mentioned there are opportunities for people to work at ELP1.
"You might come in as an entry level job, and just in a couple of months you are getting trained on 5, 6 other jobs. We believe in that because we are able to upskill our talent," Kot said.
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