CEO A. Harrison Barnes of RetailCrossing sees this as an example of big companies moving to the south. “Southern states have among the lowest labor costs in the country and big orporate companies are now waking up to that fact.

Pasadena, CA -- (SBWire) -- 12/13/2010 -- Pasadena, CA, December 10, 2010 – South Carolina is expected to gain over 1,200 jobs at the new Amazon distribution center being built in Cayce, Lexington County.

Amazon, the online retail giant is building its 10th distribution center in South Carolina. The company has named the project “Project ASAP” and plans on hiring around 1,249 employees once full scale operations begin. Another 2,500 workers will be hired as seasonal employees.

Amazon is planning to spend $40 million on the 1 million-square-foot center; a development the state governor Mark Sanford calls a “big plug”. He is hoping that the presence of such a big name company will encourage other national chains in different industries to establish presence there.

The construction of the center will be completed by end of 2013. The deciding factors in Lexington county’s favor where the proximity to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport and seaports. But the county and state had to give Amazon property tax breaks and a repeal of the Sunday sales restrictions.

CEO A. Harrison Barnes of RetailCrossing sees this as an example of big companies moving to the south. “Southern states have among the lowest labor costs in the country and big corporate companies are now waking up to that fact.” Barnes’ firm has been able to compile a list of over 31,000 retail jobs available throughout the country in the last seven days.