A former top Volkswagen Chattanooga official, who helped launch the factory about a decade ago, has joined electric vehicle company Fisker Inc. as senior advisor of manufacturing.
Don Jackson, who was president of manufacturing at the Chattanooga plant from 2008 to 2012, will spearhead manufacturing strategy and site selection as Fisker prepares for the launch of an affordable all-electric luxury SUV slated for the second half of 2021.
Tennessee and Georgia are among states such as California, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia currently being considered through an request for proposals process as a production site.
"The future of the automotive industry lies in electric vehicles," Jackson said. "There's an undeniable shift toward sustainable mobility around the globe, and Fisker is breaking the mold with the most forward-thinking technologies."
Fisker, a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, said Jackson comes with more than 40 years of manufacturing leadership.
Before taking on the key role at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, he served as senior vice president of quality and production for Toyota's Texas operations. Prior to that, Jackson was vice president of manufacturing for Toyota's operations in Kentucky.
More recently, he founded Jackson Management Group LLC, which is focused on providing strategy for various companies in lean manufacturing and best management practice.
Henrik Fisker, chairman and CEO of Fisker, said the company sought out an automotive industry leader with a strong history of results in high-volume manufacturing and the utmost in quality control.
"Don has led operations for the largest OEMs, raising the bar in vehicle quality and reliability. We are delighted to have him join our team as we ramp up toward launch in 2021 and prepare to bring a more emotion-stirring, American-made EV design to people worldwide," he said.