Volkswagen has more than 2,500 Chattanooga employees

Friday, January 1, 1904

Volkswagen has more than 2,500 employees in Chattanooga, and it will have paid $200 million in wages by year's end, officials said Friday.

"Our team is almost complete," said Hans-Herbert Jagla, executive vice president of human resources for VW in the city.

Jagla said the plant, which is running with two full shifts and producing between 400 and 450 cars a day, is still looking to fill a few openings in the quality area and some supervisor slots.

He said the company has received 85,000 applications for the more than 2,500 jobs.

Also, Jagla said plans are to start paying out quarterly bonuses to its workers of up to 10 percent of their earnings depending on performance.

"The strategy is if we have success as a company, then this success is being made by our employees and we will share the success monetarily," he said.

The VW official said it's working to develop its own supervisors from inside the plant. He said 205 people have earned promotions as team leaders.

Jagla announced plans along with Erlanger to develop a day-care facility for employees at the hospital's nearby facility on Volkswagen Drive.

In addition, he said VW plans to extend its existing apprentice program to boost its skilled work force.

Claude Ramsey, Tennessee's deputy governor and former Hamilton County mayor, said the Passat's early success and the hiring done by VW are encouraging.

"It's like a script," he said. "I couldn't have written a better one. They've met their obligation."

State and local governments committed incentives worth an estimated $577.4 million for VW, believed to be a record for an auto plant.