About 350 news jobs expected to be created

By Jessica Breger Special to the Monett Monthly

The city of Monett has confirmed the 2026 addition of an Amazon facility to its limits amidst growing speculation.

Mayor Randy Burke said the city had known for some time what would be built on the recently sold 25.4 acres at 603 Chapel Drive, however due to a non-disclosure agreement, officials could not announce the project sooner. 

“It’s been in the works for a while,” said Burke, adding that large companies will often ask for non-disclosures while they are still negotiating and building new facilities.

He said companies do this to stay out of the eye of news and competitors while establishing new facilities. 

Burke said that while the city had hoped to announce the project sooner, they had to respect the agreement that kept them from confirming it until mid-October. 

The permit for the project was approved on July 17, and ground broke on Sept. 24, all under a dummy corporation name leading residents to speculate what would be built for nearly a month.

The new 119,152 square-foot delivery station on Chapel Drive will sit immediately east of Enterprise Drive, with Tyson Foods hatchery to its north and Monett Speedway to its south.

Mayor Burke said the facility location is in the path of upcoming road projects, and the Chapel Drive project will not be interrupted by the addition. 

Burke said Amazon was made aware of the road project and is prepared to work around the city’s needs. 

The new facility is projected to cost an estimated $22,222,390 and bring in approximately 350 total jobs to the area. 

The facility has an expected opening in 2026. Construction is slated to begin in the coming weeks that will also include a 29,679 square-foot canopy. 

According the the city’s press release on Oct 16, “This will increase delivery speeds for customers in Barry, Lawrence, and surrounding counties, and is part of the company’s $4 billion investment to expand its delivery network in rural communities across the country.”

The facility is part of Amazon’s plan to streamline deliveries to smaller rural areas in the country. 

“It’s called the ‘last mile’,” said Burke, explaining that the facility will act as the final step in distribution to the area. 

Instead of items being delivered from larger facilities in Joplin or Springfield, customers will have deliveries made from local drivers. 

According to the press release, packages will be shipped to a delivery station from neighboring Amazon Fulfillment and Sortation Centers, loaded into delivery vehicles, and delivered to customers. 

The facility itself is expected to create approximately 100 jobs once open, in addition to more driving opportunities through Delivery Service Partner (DSP) and Amazon Flex programs. 

“It really is just confirmation that Monett is still a transportation hub,” Burke said. 

Monett has been historically known as a transportation hub from its history with the Frisco Railroad, at one time making the city a waypoint for strawberry farmers and a whistleblower stop for several presidential candidates.