This is about 30 mins from where I live and 10mins from my current work. I'm also degreed in Manufacturing Engineering. If the pay is right, and I've heard that it will be, I might go work for a bunch of Germans.Volkswagen chooses Tennessee site for car factory.
The Wall Street Journal (7/16, B2, Linebaugh) reports, "Volkswagen AG said it will build a new car plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., as Europe's biggest carmaker returns production to the U.S. after two decades." The decision "highlight[s] how the weak dollar is increasing the attractiveness of the U.S. as a low-cost manufacturer." The car company "aims to begin production in early 2011 of a midsize sedan developed for the U.S. market." The Chattanooga factory, which "will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles," is part of Volkswagen's "expansion plan to sell 6.6 million VW-brand passenger cars globally by 2018, with 800,000 planned for the American market."
According to the New York Times /AP (7/16, C6), "Christian Wulff, the governor of the German state of Lower Saxony and a member of VW's supervisory board," said "that the company had picked Chattanooga after the board debated the merits of the location and its benefits." Tennessee authorities "have not released details of what" the state "is giving Volkswagen, but the company's statement said the 'incentives are tied to job creation and capital investment. Additional support includes assistance for public infrastructure and job training."
The Chicago Tribune (7/16) adds that Volkswagen said it would "invest $1 billion in [the North American] economy." VW also considered "[s]ites in Alabama and Michigan" for the factory. The company "said the plant near the Georgia and Alabama borders would create 2,000 direct jobs and 'add a significant number of jobs in related sectors.'"
Tennessee's Chattanoogan (7/15, Schmidt) welcomed the announcement and noted, "Since they are starting from scratch, this is the time to build a truly innovative vehicle for the 21st century."
Alabama's CBS affiliate WHNT-TV (7/15, Stuart), Times-Journal (7/16), Huntsville Times (7/16, Brewer), and Gadsden Times (7/15, Powell) all criticized Volkswagen's choice for the new plant.
Bloomberg (7/16, Thomas, Reiter), the AFP (7/15), the Detroit Free Press (7/15, Hyde), the BBC (7/16), and BusinessWeek (7/16, Kiley) also covered the story.
Kane
