ABOVE: Joshua Vasquez of Tienda Latina talks to Marc Reilly, about potentially becoming an Amazon Hub. Becoming a hub means Amazon packages are delivered to the business, which then delivers them.

FAIRMONT – The Amazon Hub delivery program is making its way to Fairmont, seeking to aid local businesses.

The program coordinates with businesses in populated areas, where said businesses deliver Amazon packages in exchange for payment up to $50,000 a year. Amazon Account Development Executive Marc Reilly said Fairmont was chosen due to its large usage of Amazon.

“Fairmont is a community that orders quite a bit of Amazon,” he said. “We had an opportunity to bring in about four or five hubs over the next couple of weeks.”

The solid number is four, and a fifth may be added depending on initial results. This was determined after tracking packages and assessing the supply arriving in Fairmont. Two businesses that apply but aren’t initially accepted will be placed on reserve for potential future expansion.

By opening this up to Fairmont businesses, Reilly said it provides them with another revenue stream.

“They get paid direct deposit every week based on the number of packages their hub delivered the previous week,” he said. “There’s a great deal of flexibility to it, so they don’t have to hire or staff up. They can deliver the packages at a reasonable time for them. Let’s say the Amazon supply van arrived at 9 a.m. Their commitment would be to deliver those packages before 9 p.m. that day.”

This stream can then open opportunities down the road that previously weren’t available.

“Let’s say the hubs earn about $50,000 per year,” Reilly said. “For a small business owner, that can be substantial enough to allow them to invest in a new POS system, a new security system, to expand to a second location, to remodel their shop, or bring in a new [product] line.”

As for what types of businesses fit best for this program, Reilly said they try to target smaller businesses.

“We deal a lot with businesses near Main Street,” he said. “We can also work with a home-based business. They must be in good standing with the state of Minnesota and have a business insurance policy.”

If they fit this criteria, farms are also eligible for this program. The program is open for any business in a 7.5 mile radius of Fairmont who can deliver in said radius.

For customers, Reilly said this program gets them their packages faster by opening up another delivery pathway. The added benefit is supporting local businesses by doing so.

For businesses, the hope is the support of another revenue stream can provide stability in the long run.

“Some businesses are in financial stress and they’re contemplating laying off an employee,” Reilly said. “This program can help keep that employee engaged and on the payroll. They can also use independent contractors because of the flexibility in the program.”

Along the stability line, Amazon Hub has also joined the Chamber of Commerce to support local events through donations, connect with the community, and provide another level of trust in what they do and their commitment to Fairmont.

Multiple opportunities are still available to be a part of the program. For more information on the Amazon Hub program, visit www.amazon.com/hubdelivery or call Marc Reilly at 952-261-9301.