CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A state lawmaker has penned a letter to Amazon Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Bezos about Bezos’ plan to open a second Amazon headquarters in North America, Amazon HQ2.
Del. Moore Capito (R-Kanawha) offers West Virginia has a potential site for the investment.
West Virginia and its people present Amazon with “unique and compelling” options for HQ2, Capito wrote.
“Here in West Virginia we have options,” Capito told MetroNews Thursday. “If you want to be closer to an urban area we can provide that but if you want to create your own kind of community here we have tons of space to do that as well.”
Amazon, which operates a call center in Huntington, detailed how significant HQ2 would be in a recent announcement.
“We expect to invest over $5 billion in construction and grow this second headquarters to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs – it will be a full equal to our current campus in Seattle,” the announcement said.
Capito said many may consider West Virginia a long shot but he said it’s about being part of the conversation.
“It’s all about getting in the game. You never get anything that you don’t ask for,” Capito said. “You never get anything unless you try to compete for it.”
“West Virginia presents a level of autonomy no other state can,” Capito wrote in his letter to Bezos. “Your company requires a facility, but here you can build a community that houses a facility.”
Not only is Bezos a person who doesn’t think outside the box, he doesn’t even use a box, Capito said.
“He’s a big thinker and I’m hoping that this is something that might catch his eye,” Capito said.
Amazon is encouraging those areas choosing to fill out a Request For Proposal to “think big and be creative.”
“We are looking for a location with strong local and regional talent—particularly in software development and related fields—as well as a stable and business-friendly environment to continue hiring and innovating on behalf of our customers,” the company’s announcement said.