With the first construction crane soaring over Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant, work on a $900 million expansion is picking up pace as the company and the city seek minority contractors.
More than 20 people representing black and women-owned businesses turned out Friday to learn more about how they can share in the work over the next two years.
“I’m optimistic, but I want to see if we can help and how the company fits in,” said Stephen Russ of Ortwein Sign.
City officials hope to vastly improve minority participation on the expansion compared to the original construction of the plant, which started production in 2011.
A September 2013 report showed that just $58,385, or barely one-tenth of 1 percent of the $38 million in city and Hamilton County funds spent on the VW project then, went to black- or woman-owned firms.