Chattanooga: VW selects engineer, architect

Volkswagen Group of America has picked the firm SSOE to oversee the architecture, engineering and construction management for the company’s new $1 billion production facility at Enterprise South industrial park in Chattanooga.

The company will partner with Environmental Resources Management (ERM) for the environmental permitting process and Alberici Constructors Inc. for the construction management of the facility.

SSOE and ERM have offices in Nashville.

“The selection of these environmentally focused companies underscores our commitment to sustainable development,” said David Geanacopoulos, executive vice president and general counsel, Volkswagen Group of America. “We look forward to partnering with these exceptional companies in the coming months as we build an environmentally responsible production facility in the U.S.”

SSOE will staff the project in Tennessee with about 30 employees on site over the next 14 to 16 months. The company, ranked 5th in automotive design firms by Engineering News Record, has performed design work for 50 percent of all automotive assembly plants built in the U.S. over the last 10 years.

“SSOE is very excited about this first opportunity to work with Volkswagen as they grow their investment in the United States. We began building this relationship five years ago and are proud to add Volkswagen to our automotive resume. We look forward to a long relationship,” said Craig Bowie, PE, Senior Vice President, Automotive and Industrial Facilities for SSOE Inc.

ERM is a leading provider of environmental and related consulting services. With over 145 offices in more than 40 countries, employing over 3,500 staff, in the past 5 years ERM has worked with 60 percent of the Global Fortune 500 companies in over 160 different countries. The ERM office located in Brentwood, Tenn., has more than 25 engineers and scientists with expertise in air quality, compliance assurance, due diligence, remediation, and water/wastewater. The ERM Brentwood office has a diverse base of industrial clients in various manufacturing sectors, including automotive, chemical, building and consumer products, glass and metal production, and utilities.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for ERM to partner with Volkswagen. We are excited that Volkswagen chose ERM to prepare applications and assist them through the environmental permitting process for their facility. In leading this project from our Brentwood, Tenn., office, we have leveraged our local experience, capabilities and strong relationships to meet Volkswagen’s requirements and schedules,” said Jeff Twaddle, ERM principal-in-charge.

Alberici is a top five construction manager of auto facilities in North America and a leader in constructing sustainable manufacturing facilities. The St. Louis-based firm has completed over 22 green building projects.

"We are proud to be associated with a company like Volkswagen who has shown their commitment to the environment and to investing in the United States with their decision to build in Tennessee," said Greg Kozicz, chief executive officer of Alberici. “Alberici will be providing approximately 10 construction management professionals to the SSOE team.”

See tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press for complete coverage.