CANTON, Miss. >> Amazon is opening a third facility in Mississippi for sorting and processing customer orders.

The new fulfillment center in Canton will be the first to feature Amazon’s robotics technology. Associates will work alongside robots packing and shipping books, toys and household items.

It will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs in the area, according to the Mississippi Development Authority, a state agency tasked with recruiting new businesses.

The facility at the Madison County Mega Site Industrial Park, a 2,000-acre biotechnology and advanced manufacturing park, will be 700,000-square-feet and at least four stories tall.

“The fact that Amazon has chosen to invest in Mississippi again is a testament to the unmatched work ethic and dedication Mississippians exhibit each day,” Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement. “We are well-positioned to be a leader in logistics, and I want to thank the leadership in Madison County and at Amazon for bringing more than 1,000 jobs to the area.”

The Mississippi Development Authority is providing $8.37 million to Madison County to construct public roads, sewer, gas and water facilities — including a new 1 million gallon water tank in the park — that will support the Amazon project.

Amazon’s vice president of global customer fulfillment, Alicia Boler Davis, said Mississippi is “a great state for business.”

“We are excited for our future in the magnolia state and for what this means for our customers as we continue to grow,” Davis said in a statement.

The new fulfillment center is expected to be operational by 2021. The company plans to fill the jobs in time for the 2021 peak holiday shopping season.

Amazon has two fulfillment centers in north Mississippi, one in Olive Branch in DeSoto County and another in Holly Springs in Marshall County. Both facilities opened within the last two years.