CAN DO GOALS* Direct jobs: 5,000 goal, 6,631 so far* New Payroll: $427 million goal, $705 million so far* Capital investment: $500 million goal, $847 million so far* Total jobs: 15,121 goal, 14,753 so farSource: Chattanooga Area Chamber of CommerceMajor investments in past three years1. Volkswagen expansion in Chattanooga, $600 million2. GE Roper expansion in Lafayette, Ga., $88 million3. Plastic Omium plant in Chattanooga, $70 million4. Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Co., plant in Chattanooga, $62 million5. Audia Inernational in Walker County, Ga., $50 millionSource: Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce
With 10 months left in its jobs campaign, Chattanooga economic developers have raced past three of four goals in their four-year initiative, officials said Wednesday.
Aided by Volkswagen’s announcement last month to plow $600 million into the city to build a new vehicle at its plant and hire 2,000 more workers, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has blown by its targets for direct jobs, new payroll and capital investment.
Ron Harr, the Chamber’s chief executive, said the total jobs goal is expected to be reached by the end of the Can Do campaign in mid-2015. He said the total jobs goal is only 368 jobs short of its 15,121 target.
“For the first time in the Chamber’s history, we’ll meet all the job creation goals,” said Harr, who is resigning in October.