Volkswagen supplier to add plant in Walker County, Ga.

photo Bebe Heiskell

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ABOUT THE COMPANYClark-Cutler-McDermott Co. is a tier one and tier two manufacturer of molded and flat die-cut acoustical insulation and natural fiber-based interior trim components for the auto industry.GOVERNOR'S VISITTennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is slated to be at Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant today for graduation ceremonies for the facility's automation mechatronics program.

A Volkswagen and General Motors supplier plans to open a new plant in Northwest Georgia, hiring up to 50 employees, officials said Monday.

Clark-Cutler-McDermott Co. is buying a Shaw Industries facility in Walker County, Ga., to produce acoustical insulation for the auto industry.

"The auto segment is a business segment we can continue to grow," said County Commissioner Bebe Heiskell.

Heiskell said the close proximity of Chattanooga's Volkswagen auto assembly plant is an opportunity to land added automotive businesses.

Larry Brooks, executive director of the county's development authority, said the company plans to invest upward of $3 million into the site located on Shattuck Industrial Drive.

He said Clark-Cutler-McDermott is expected to start readying the site soon, though it may take up to 24 months to get up to full employment. Shaw has been using the facility as a warehouse, Brooks said.

Tom McDermott, the company's president, said the Franklin, Mass.-based supplier already has done some business with the VW plant and would like to do more with the factory that makes the midsize Passat sedan.

Also, he said, the company sees an opportunity to grow its GM business as the automaker plans to invest over $350 million into its Spring Hill, Tenn., production plant. GM may assemble a couple of new sport utility vehicles at the factory.

Currently, McDermott said, the company employs about 250 people in Franklin and about a half dozen more at a North Carolina facility. He termed the planned Walker County plant "a pretty good-sized expansion."

Brooks said Walker County already has a pair of auto suppliers in Nissin Brake and Unique Fabricating.

"We're building a nice business cluster," he said. "We're working on expansion projects with the other two."

Last week, Roper Corp. in Lafayette, Ga., marked an $88 million expansion along with 90 jobs, pushing its workforce to about 1,500.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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