While Volkswagen’s new Chattanooga-made midsize SUV won’t be revealed until this fall, there were still plenty of signs of the activity connected to the effort, including a major hiring push in August from the German automaker and VW suppliers in the city.
Aerotek held job fairs throughout August, looking to hire employees for logistics and production. Gestamp, a Volkswagen supplier at Enterprise South Industrial Park, also ramped up its hiring efforts, with plans to add 115 workers by the end of the year to work on three daily shifts to make stamped parts for the new SUV.
The hiring news came at the same time Volkswagen reached a tentative agreement with U.S. dealers to compensate them for losses the dealers said they incurred as a result of VW’s emissions cheating scandal. The value of the settlement with about 650 dealers has not been finalized.
Production of the Chattanooga-made midsize SUV should begin late this year with vehicles hitting the market in 2017.
Text by Dave Helms
