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SEATTLE – JANUARY 1, 2018 – Amazon will be shipping new ice skates to some employees as it warms up to Winnipeg as the home of its second corporate headquarters. The Canadian prairie city famed for its cultural diversity, entertainment scene and technologically innovative business sector won the competition as it outpaced competitors with its excellent combination of location, access to talent, cost of business, incentives and lifestyle. "It has a great ecosystem for Amazon to plug in to. It's centrally located, gives our company a low cost of business and our people will enjoy an extremely high quality of life. We were also impressed with the entrepreneurial culture of the city, the support of all three levels of government and the existing network of big corporations and start-ups." said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. Amazon's HQ will take over 22 acres of office space in a mix of heritage buildings and yet-to-be-built high rises in the downtown. The Amazon downtown campus is expected to grow to seven buildings within a 10-minute walk from one another through all-weather connections. "Our key selection criteria demanded that we have access to a robust talent pool. The city needed to be a cultural fit for our company and it needed to offer our employees a great place to live and raise families. Winnipeg ticks those boxes," said Brian Olsavsky, Senior Vice President and CFO. "Winnipeg already has more than 20,000 workers in the IT space. It is the hub for a region that draws from nearly 20 universities and colleges including half a dozen major provincial and state universities. It is also home to diverse and thriving tech, bioscience, manufacturing and financial sectors." Located at the geographic center of North America, Winnipeg's bid featured a compact, interconnected downtown campus. The city is rated by KPMG as having the lowest cost of doing business as compared to any other major city in Canada, and 15.1 per cent less than the U.S. average. At the same time, employees will save thousands of dollars a year in housing costs as compared to major urban centers such as Toronto. "Our people can afford a better quality of life in Winnipeg," said Olsavsky, citing the average home price of $283,000(CDN). "There wasn't a single other bid that could come close to the combination of vibrant arts and entertainment, housing and still have an average 20 minute commute by bike, bus or car." Canadian prairie city tipped for location, talent, cost and lifestyle AMAZON SELECTS WINNIPEG FOR ITS SECOND CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE