Volkswagen Creating 2,000 New Jobs in Chattanooga

It was announced on Monday that Volkswagen is going to invest $600 million and create 2,000 new jobs in an effort to produce a new sport utility vehicle in Hamilton County, Tennessee, according to The Times Free-Press.

In Chattanooga, the company is going to construct a new research and development center that will have 200 employees.

The chief executive of VW, Martin Winterkorn, said that production will begin towards the end of 2016 for the CrossBlue, which will seat seven. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

“The USA remains one of the most important markets for the VW brand,” he said.

Governor Bill Haslam said that the new center will bring more than just jobs to Tennessee.

“This speaks volumes for VW being as close to the customer at it can be,” he said.

Michael Horn is the VW of America’s CEO. Horn said that the quality of the work performed by the already 2,700 employees at the Chattanooga plant is very strong.

Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger said the county is “pleased to partner with Volkswagen as they create 2,000 new family-wage jobs which will also generate very positive economic ripple effects for residents throughout our community. By working with Volkswagen to build on the tremendous success of their initial job creation project, we are establishing a foundation for continuing economic growth for years to come.”

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke said, “This expansion will result in a huge capital investment and thousands of new jobs. From day one, the city and county have worked hard to see today become a reality, when we can announce that Volkswagen will be adding more jobs, more investment and expanding their presence in Chattanooga.”

A study from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville said that Volkswagen Chattanooga has created more than 12,400 full-time jobs and has brought 17 supply companies to the area. The study also found that the branch of VW has been responsible for $643.1 million in annual income for the region.

Volkswagen is hiring across the US, please click here to check available openings.