Volkswagen to invest $600M, add 2,000 jobs in Chattanooga

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: Nashville Tennessean

G. Chambers Williams III, [e-mail] 11 a.m. CDT July 14, 2014

Volkswagen will expand its Chattanooga plant to built a new midsize SUV, adding 2,000 new jobs, as well as establish a new research and development center there, bringing another 200 jobs, the German automaker said Monday.

In an announcement from Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg, the world's No. 3 automaker said it would begin producing the new three-row crossover at the end of 2016.

It will be the second vehicle to be produced at the Chattanooga plant, which began assembling the U.S. version of the Volkswagen Passat midsize sedan in 2011. Already, Volkswagen has 1,500 direct employees at the plant, with about 2,700 working there altogether, including contractors.

The new SUV will add 2,000 direct employees and thousands more associated with contractors and suppliers, said Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen's CEO.
....

Reach G. Chambers Williams III at 615-259-8076 or on Twitter @gchambers3.

Read more: http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/cars/2014/07/14/volkwagen-expansion-chattanooga-crossblue-suv/12616743/

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Reaction To Announcement That New SUV Will Be Manufactured By VW In Chattanooga

Commissioner Tim Boyd representing Hamilton County District 8 said, {being a politician, just a whole bunch that I'm going to snip and get right to the point:}

"Volkswagen's announcement sets the stage for $600,000,000 of investment in Hamilton County, adding 2000 new jobs and the establishment of an automotive research and development center employing 200 research engineers. This investment in our community sends a strong message that Volkswagen is committed to our community, and the spin off jobs created could easily surpass the number jobs directly created by VW. I am very excited for all of the citizens of Hamilton County and especially those of District 8 which is geographically positioned to benefit enormously by this decision of Volkswagen to expand production.

Engineers? High-paying jobs, then.

[Kelvin Mace]

1. This will be spun as a victory

for anti-unionists, no matter how incorrect.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. This was at the end of the article:

Last week, the UAW announced that it was creating a local union in Chattanooga and inviting workers to join. Union officials said they were confident that VW would recognize the union once it had more than 50 percent of workers join the group.

For its part, VW said it had no formal agreement with the union.

See Omaha Steve's post last week, UAW to establish local union for Chattanooga VW plant

[navarth]

3. that's a win for the bad guys

anti-union forces are celebrating, I'm sure.

[Dreamer Tatum]

4. Right now, jobs are jobs. nt

[GeorgeGist]

5. Oligarchs love dreamers ...

who can't see beyond the end of their toes.