Volkswagen And Gestamp Celebrate Expansion, But Local Leaders Remember the Original Vision

The announcement of yet another economic shot in the arm for this area is especially good news for some local leaders who saw potential years ago at Enterprise South.
While Volkswagen, Gestamp and the business community celebrated 500 new jobs, there were those who are still looking at the vision that began in 2008.

CLAUDE RAMSEY, FORMER COUNTY MAYOR "We had this piece of land that we…right in the middle of our county that wasn’t being used..and the vision was…acquire that land…and open it up to development….that allowed us to compete..and that was the vision all along."

Claude Ramsey, former city mayor Ron Littlefield and other local leaders were keeping the big announcement at Gestamp/Volkswagen in perspective. They were the ones who turned the old Army Ammunition storage area into Enterprise south, now the home of one of the biggest auto manufacturing centers in the country.

CLAUDE RAMSEY "I just have to tell you it does my heart good to see this place and know that many people are out here working…supporting their families."

But, there were others along the route…starting back in 2008, that kept the ball rolling. Not the least of which was former Chattanooga mayor, and now U.S. Senator Bob Corker.

SEN.BOB CORKER, (R) TENNESSEE "You know we have all kinds of issues that all of us work on….that are important but there’s nothing more exciting than knowing that people that you know in your own community heads of households that benefit from a vision that has been part of this community along,long time."

Volkswagen was already here when Governor Bill Haslam came into office in 2011. But he has been a key player as the big automaker made its move toward increased production…and now the plan to build mid-size SUV’s, with a corresponding jump in the number of jobs.

GOV.BILL HASLAM , (R) TENNESSEE "500 new jobs is a big deal but maybe even a bigger news…a bigger deal is about the vision that was first thought about when the two mayors who were here at the time ..and Senator Corker before that…and others that got together and said here’s what we’d like to see..and so Volkswagen came through and decided we’ll build the Passat here."

The latest news is exciting, but much of this day was devoted to the original vision.