Several Local Firms Get VW Contracts

From The Chattanoogan:

Several local firms were awarded contracts on Tuesday morning in connection with the $1 billion Volkswagen plant.

Chattanooga Office Systems will be providing furniture for the Training Center to be operated by Chattanooga State. The contract amount is $431,559.

Walter A. Wood Supply will be supplying hand tools for the Training Center after having the low bid of $47,166.

Walter A. Wood Supply also bid on another hand tool contract, but the low bid of $110,282 was by Turner Supply Company, a Nashville firm.

AT&T Chattanooga was chosen to install the IT infrastructure at the plant. The contract is for $286,739

Mayse Construction Company of Chattanooga will be moving a sewer line along Bonny Oaks Drive in a $164,731 contract. A railroad bridge over Bonny Oaks Drive is being replaced with a wider railroad bridge.

Several expensive contracts for specialized training equipment to be located at the Training Center and the plant itself were "single-source" items - with many going to German firms.

These include:

Durst $541,000 for a manual paint booth

Eisenmann $1,709,597 for a robotic painting system

Hoffman Group $136,209 for special cabinets

Fori Automation of Michigan $480,188 for engine, drive train and trans axle training modules

Volkswagen PKW $710,648 for assembly area training stations within the plant

Volkswagen PKW $483,599 for a trouble shooting training area within the plant

Volkswagen PKW $1,235,305 for a robotic automation training cell.

Keith Kingston of EBZ Consulting said there will be 300-400 robots at the plant. They are manufactured in Japan.

Steve Leach, city public works administration, said a 60-ton transformer for a new electrical substation at the VW plant is en route to Chattanooga from Laredo, Tex. It was built in Mexico.

He said a special road is being built across a portion of the plant site so that the huge transformer can make the final leg of its long trip before being lifted into place.

Mr. Leach said some 800 workers are at work at the site getting the plant ready for the start of production in early 2011.

Daisy Madison, city finance director, said over 70 percent of the local funds set aside for the VW plant have now been committed. She said the project remains within budget.