This aerial photo shows the Volkswagen plant at Enterprise South.BY THE NUMBERS• $211 million – State and local money grant money spent to date on VW project less equipment funds• $4.4 million – Value of contracts awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses for all government contracts at VW• $58,385 – Value of contracts awarded at VW by the city to minority and women-owned businesses of the $38 million in city and county fundsSource: City of Chattanooga
Ric EbersoleMinority-owned businesses in the Chattanooga area appear to have directly benefited little from the $211 million in local and state grant money spent to plan and build Volkswagen’s auto assembly plant, a new report shows.
City figures show that just $58,385, or barely more than one-tenth of 1 percent of the $38 million in city and Hamilton County funds spent so far on the VW project, went to disadvantaged business enterprises such as black- or woman-owned firms.
If state contracts for VW-related projects are included, only 2.1 percent of the $211 million spent through Sept. 9 went to the minority companies, the report showed.
Ric Ebersole, chairman of the Chattanooga Industrial Development Board, on Monday termed the lack of participation by minority businesses “abysmal” and “disappointing.”