VW Has A New Automotive Plant AND New Focus

Volkswagen, a Gray Construction customer, was featured in an article that appeared in the Chicago Tribune on June 5, 2011. Check out the article.

Highlights of the article include:

• VW is looking to triple U.S. sales over the next seven years, partly due in part to the new Passat being manufactured in Chattanooga.
• VW sold 256,830 cars last year, up 20% from the year before.  FY2011 sales are up 17%.
• VW ranked 29th of 34 brands on the J.D. Power & Associates 2011 reliability rankings and 31st of 33 in 2010’s initial quality survey of 3-month old vehicles.
• At the Chattanooga facility, VW pulled in more than 200 company experts from operations around the world, including its Audi and Bentley divisions to work at the factory.
• Although the plant has the capacity to make 150,000 cars a year the initial plans for this year is to produce 56,000.
• 85% of the American Passat content will come from North American Free Trade Agreement countries, eliminating any risk as it relates to unfavorable exchange rates.
• The plant is located in “auto alley” and shares several of the same suppliers as BMW and Mercedes.