WDEF News 12 - Covering Volkswagen News

Chattanooga Scores National Cycling Championship

Thu, 03 May 2012 17:04:00 -0400

Some of the biggest names in professional cycling will be coming to town starting next year.
Volkswagen signed on to sponsor the USA Cycling Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships for three years.
It could bring in upwards of a million dollars.
The next Lance Armstrong could soon be riding his or her way through Chattanooga.
USA Cycling joined Volkswagen in announcing a three-year partnership.
It will bring the Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships to town starting in 2013.

Steve Johnson, USA Cycling President And CEO, "It's an exciting event. You're going to see over 150 competitors with dozens of the top professional teams. A lot of the riders you see riding in the Tour de France and some of the other major European events will be here for this event and vie for the title of professional champion."

Outdoor Chattanooga's been behind the move to bring the event here.
Executive Director Philip Grymes is excited about the economic impact.

Philip Grymes, Outdoor Chattanooga, "We're known now as an outdoor mecca and this event is just going to engage more people in recognizing that and bringing more people to Chattanooga to relocate here, to have vacations here and just to come see what it's all about."

For Volkswagen, it's all about another way to fulfill its commitment to sustained growth in North America.

Brian Thomas, Volkswagen General Manager, "As a brand we, Volkswagen, we have a storied history with cycling and we're very excited to increase our commitment to the sport."

Greenville South Carolina previously hosted the event.
And for Mayor Ron Littlefield it says a lot that Chattanooga scored it.

Mayor Ron Littlefield, City of Chattanooga, "Here we are a transformed city with a world class event, USA Cycling, a world class company, Volkswagen, in the community of Chattanooga and Hamilton County. You just can't get anymore world class than that."

Volkswagen Opposes Guns In Parking Lots Bill

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 06:12:00 -0400

     The head of Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant takes issue with a bill pending in the Tennessee General Assembly to strip businesses of the right to ban firearms on company property.
     The proposal heads for a House committee vote this morning.
     It would allow people to store legally-owned firearms in vehicles parked at work - regardless of their employers' wishes.
     Frank Fischer, the CEO and chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga, says "that's a sort of thing that makes us a bit nervous."

Volkswagen Announces Best Month Yet For the Passat in March

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:49:50 -0400

More good news for Volkswagen this afternoon.
The Passat had its best sales month ever in March.
More than 10,000 units drove off dealer lots.
March sales for VW over all rose 35 percent, and the Passat made up 23 percent of that number
You may remember the Chattanooga-made car earned the title of 2012 Motor Trend Car of the Year.
And Volkswagen just announced last month it's adding 800 more jobs to the local plant to meet the demand for the Passat.

Volkswagen Teams Up With UTC for MBA Program

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:35:21 -0400

Volkswagen announces it's teaming up with UTC to offer an MBA Program at the VW academy.
Students can attend the classes at UTC or the Volkswagen academy.
The professor can teach from either location too.
And everybody's linked by high speed Internet and video conferencing.
The set up provides real-time instruction and class interaction.
Mike Owens, Asst. Dean of Grad Programs, "The really interesting thing is that it's open to all UTC students, not just Volkswagen employees, so anyone who lives in the East Hamilton County or Bradley County areas, if they live or work out there, it's more convenient for them to go to classes there than to come all the way downtown, so it's really a way for us to branch out and be more accessible to that part of the community."
This is a first for the 50 year old MBA program at UTC.
The two year program is geared toward workers.
Four classes will be offered each semester from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Volkswagen Announces Details on Raone County Warehouse

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:03:44 -0400

Here's a press release from Volkswagen:

VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FURTHER INVESTMENT IN TENNESSEE

-Automaker to open distribution facility in Roane County to support continued growth in the United States -

Herndon, VA (March 13, 2012) - Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) announced today that it will invest $40 million to build a warehouse in Roane County, Tenn. for distributing domestic auto parts for the Chattanooga-made Passat. The 400,000-square-foot facility is expected to open by spring 2013 and will employ up to 45 people by 2016.

Addressing the need for increased infrastructure, the facility will begin as a redistribution center to service warehouses and will later expand to include a parts distribution center. The redistribution Master Depot will support the US, Canada and Mexico. The parts distribution operation will improve service parts delivery times to over 100 dealers in the surrounding regions.

“This new facility is exemplary of the commitment that Volkswagen Group of America has to meeting the needs of our dealers and our growing customer base,” said Rawdon Glover Executive Vice President of Aftersales, Volkswagen Group of America. “Our continued investment in the U.S. market affirms that Volkswagen is dedicated to the economic vitalization of the communities where we do business.”

“I’m grateful Volkswagen is expanding its presence here in the state and bringing new jobs to Roane County,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, “because projects such as this bring more direct and indirect investments to Tennessee.”

Roane County Executive Ron Woody said of the project announcement, “I couldn’t be more pleased that Volkswagen has chosen Roane County to be the site of their new Southeastern distribution facility. We appreciate VW’s confidence in us and our workforce – and certainly appreciate their investment in our community. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with them for many years to come.”

Volkswagen first announced its plans in 2008 to produce a new midsize sedan specifically for the North American consumer at its $1 billion plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. Completed in 2011; the plant produces the all-new Passat, and is one of the most advanced and environmentally responsible auto assembly plants in the world.

Volkswagen Celebrates 100 New Employees

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:05:31 -0400

Volkswagen celebrates new hires.
The Chattanooga plant has hired the first group of about 100 employees from its variable workforce.
Aerotek provided the employees.
That's a recruiting and hiring company.
These jobs are in addition to the 2000 Volkswagen team members already hired.
This follows on the announcement in late January that 200 new positions are needed as Volkswagen Chattanooga increases production output from 31 to 35 cars per hour.

200 New Jobs at Chattanooga Volkswagen Plant

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:43:35 -0400

VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA TO HIRE 200 FOR INCREASED CAPACITY

Chattanooga, Tenn. (January 31, 2012) – Volkswagen Group of America, Chattanooga Operations, LLC today announced the company is creating 200 new jobs at its Tennessee manufacturing facility.

The positions are needed as Volkswagen Chattanooga increases production capacity from 31 to 35 cars per hour. The new jobs will be integrated into Volkswagen’s current two-shift operation and filled by full-time Volkswagen employees.

“We have had good success hiring local people who can work together as a team to build our cars safely and with the highest quality,” said Hans-Herbert Jagla, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations, LLC. “Now, we are excited to have 200 more people join our team.”

The Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga currently employs more than 2,500 people, about 2,000 by Volkswagen and additional 500 by Aerotek, the company’s staffing partner.

“These 200 new positions are all full-time Volkswagen jobs ,” said Ryan Rose, General Manager of Human Resources. “We will use this opportunity to hire many of our current Aerotek contract employees. So, Aerotek will be recruiting to fill full-time contract production positions that will open up as a result.We will also be hiring additional supervisors and engineers – so there are a lot of opportunities.”

Applicants for production positions must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma or GED, and have legal authorization to work in the U.S. Interested candidates can apply online with Aerotek at www.aerotektn.com. Aerotek will select candidates to move to the assessment process, including practical hands-on testing.

Candidates for professional positions like Production Supervisors, Engineers, and IT Specialists should apply online with Volkswagen at www.vwjobschattanooga.com.

Volkswagen Unveils New Cars At the North American International Auto Show In Detroit

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:50:06 -0400

Volkswagen reveals ambitious plans for 2012 today at North American International Auto Show in the Detroit.
The German automaker unveiled the 2013 Jetta Hybrid and the new Bugster.
It also announced goals to boost sales in the US around 12 and a half percent this year.
Half a million cars sold in the America for the first time in nearly 4 decades...that's the word from Volkswagen at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Around this time last year excitement soared at the Detroit Auto Show as the German Automaker revealed the Chattanooga built Passat.

This year the company's pushing the E-Bugster...a new electric take on the iconic Beetle and the 2013 Jetta Hybrid.

President and CEO of the Volkswagen Group of America Jonathan Browning says, "It's what we call a performance hybrid. It manages to combine both tremendous fuel efficiency and really exciting driving dynamics on the road."

But the question on a lot of minds...Where in North America will the much talked about Audi be built?
The Chattanooga V-W plant's been rumored to be in the running.
We didn't get an answer.

Browning says, "Right now our absolute focus in on bringing the Passat successfully up to capacity, making the most of the investment we've made and those other decisions will have to come somewhere into the future."

And after earning the Motortrend Magazine's endorsement for Car of the year...a disappointment for the Passat. The Hyndai Elantra earned the title of North American Car of the Year.

Still, as the company celebrates a stellar sales year in 2011 ...thanks in part to the Chattanooga Passat ...it's pushing forward with plans to reach full capacity of 150 thousand Passat's at the Chattanooga factory sometime in 2013.

Elantra, Not the Chattanooga Built Passat Earns Car of the Year Honors

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:00:00 -0400

The Hyundai Elantra has won the North American Car of the Year award.

The award was announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which holds media previews this week and opens to the public on Jan. 14.

The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque won the North American Truck of the Year.

Fifty automotive journalists voted on the winning vehicles from a group of finalists. Car finalists included the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat. Truck finalists were the BMW X3, Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

A vehicle must be all new or substantially changed to be eligible.

This is the 19th year for the awards. Organizers accept no advertising, though automakers capitalize on the marketing value of the honors.

2011 In Review: Volkswagen's Big Year

Mon, 26 Dec 2011 09:59:00 -0400

From dream to design to Detroit... after waiting and wondering, in early January, we learned the name and exactly what the promised mid-sized sedan for the North American market looked like. Guenther Scherelis, VW Community Relations, says "so, we are very excited, we unveil the result of 2 1/2 years of hard work and we are all looking forward to that and we are all very proud and very optimistic that the car will hit the market."

"...and now with precision, quality, and performance we are proud to present to you the all new 2012 Passat." Senator Bob Corker says "it was the greatest moment of my public life, to receive the call, I was in an energy hearing in Washington when I got the call from Germany and again emotion washed over me again today seeing those sights."

Volkswagen followed the Passat's unveiling, with an advertising home run, premiering a Star Wars clip on Youtube just days before airing it during the Super Bowl. The Vader ad made a star out of Max Page, who appeared in Chattanooga a few months later to mark the grand opening of the plant. Former Governor Phil Bredesen says "we were all in this together. I wish Washington would take note of what Tennessee can accomplish."

By summer, Passat production ramped up for an early fall debut at dealerships. Don Jackson, President of Manufacturing, VW of Chattanooga, says "and the plant is in full operation now, we're building about 60 units a day this week, so each day we're going little by little a little bit higher production."

One of the things I really like about the Passat is its ability to get up and go. I'm test driving the TDI Clean Diesel, and even though it has less horse power than the v6 or even the standard engine, it can still pull some pretty large hills. I'm not the only one who enjoyed driving the Chattanooga crafted car. Motor Trend named the Passat its "Car of the year." Angus McKenzie of Motor Trend Magazine, says "most striking was when those guys got out of the Passat was they couldn't believe how good the car was. Chris Theodore got out and looked at me and said 'is this a ringer?' I said no, as far as I know this is how it comes off the line. He said well, it's damn near perfect."

Volkswagen ended 2011 earning Platinum LEED certification for its environmentally friendly plant, and landed a North American International Auto Show Car of the Year nomination.