Volkswagen Group of America officials Monday said the company has started to pick suppliers for the new vehicle it will make at its Chattanooga auto assembly plant.
Two of the three companies it announced will make the equipment out of state, while the third is in discussions with Volkswagen about where production will take place.
Draxlmaier Group and Emcon Technologies will produce the wire harness and cold end exhaust system, respectively, for the mid-sized sedan.
Saturn Electronics and Engineering Inc., a certified minority business enterprise, will develop and build a solid state electronics module for the vehicle.
Frank Fischer, the plant’s chief executive-designate, said Draxlmaier’s expertise makes it “an excellent choice” to supply the heart of the new vehicle’s electrical system.
Dieter H. Lehnert, of NAE Draexlmaier Automotive of North America LLC in Madison Heights, Mich., said where the equipment will be made is “still an open question. It’s still a topic under discussion.”
VW officials have said it wants some key suppliers at the Enterprise South industrial park location or nearby.
Draxlmaier, a supplier to VW since 1971, is the automaker’s first wiring harness supplier awarded both concept development and series production at the same time, according to VW.
Emcon will build the components of the system at its facility in Columbus, Ind., while the part assembly will be performed in Spartanburg, S.C.
Mr. Fischer said Emcon Technologies has a long history of delivering quality exhaust products to VW facilities abroad.
“We are looking at bringing that environmentally friendly technology to our new Tennessee facility,” he said.
Saturn will develop and build the solid state electronics module at its Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters, according to VW.
VW is building a $1 billion assembly plant and plans to start production by early 2011 and make 150,000 vehicles a year.
Mike Pare, the deputy Business editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, has worked at the paper for 27 years. In addition to editing, Mike also writes Business stories and covers Volkswagen, economic development and manufacturing in Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In the past he also has covered higher education. Mike, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Florida Atlantic University. he worked at the Rome News-Tribune before ...
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