Chattanooga Plant - Facts - Volkswagen Group of America

Facts

The new Volkswagen production facility will invest $1 billion and provide about 2,000 direct jobs.
The new plant will manufacture an exceptionally efficient and affordable model designed specifically for the North American market.
The projected start-up date for the new facility is early 2011.
The projected production capacity will initially be 150,000 vehicles per year.
Chattanooga was selected for the advantages of its infrastructure and site suitability, its visionary leaders and citizens, its emphasis on environmental responsibility as well as its skilled labor force and background in production and engineering.

Timeline

May to July 2008 ›› 1,000 acres cleared and grubbed
July 8 to October 10, 2008 ›› Volkswagen and the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau work together to complete the air permitting in record time. The permit was issued 63 days after the Air Pollution Control Bureau received the application from Volkswagen. Bureau staff worked through 19 holiday and weekend days to complete the task.
June 2008 to the present ›› Crews move and place 6.9 million cubic yards of earth to level and prepare the site for construction. Work will continue to move an additional 700,000 cubic yards, but the remaining earthwork is at the periphery of the site and will continue without delaying other phases of construction.
August 8 to October 25, 2008 ›› Work is completed to relocate 3.5 miles of creek beds from the center of the site to the perimeter. Work to relocate the eastern fork of the stream is completed 20 days ahead of schedule, and work on the western fork is wrapped up 70 days ahead of schedule.
From October 8, 2008 to the present ›› Workers placed 250,000 tons of stone to make the site pads ready.

Resources Dedicated to the Project

279 pieces of heavy equipment have been employed in the site preparation.
388 people from 18 different companies (including workers from Hamilton County and the City of Chattanooga) have participated in the project.
Over 3 million pounds of explosives were used to remove rock, so the ground could be leveled and prepared.