According to plant manager Frank Fischer, the Pennsylvania plant's failure was largely due to the number of imported parts and fluctuating currency rates as well as less-than-ideal labour practices.
The Chattanooga plant is non-union; employees go through a four-level training process over a course of ten weeks before attaining full certification. At an average $27 US per hour, labour costs are far below the average $58/hour of some domestic automakers. Most of those hired have no previous experience working in the automotive field, and the wage is considered quite good for the area.
The advantages to building locally are many. Not only is the company better able to keep in touch with the market's tastes, it's far easier to make changes and correct problems when every level of production is either under one roof or close by. Other than the engines, which are imported from Mexico and Germany, more than 85% of the Passat's raw materials are sourced from the US.
The plant is a state-of-the-art facility that prides itself on meeting the stringent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for environmentally sustainable building practices.
There are a variety of methods employed to reduce energy consumption as well as the plant's impact on the environment. Thick walls insulated with aluminum plate and a white-painted roof dispel heat. A new painting technology that uses no filler reduces CO2 emissions by 20%. Paint overspray is reclaimed and used to make cement.
Rainwater is collected to help reduce water consumption—the plant's use of water is far lower than the industry standard. Outdoor lighting is provided by an energy-saving LED system. Office lighting uses 20 percent less energy thanks to motion-sensing energy-saving lamps. Meandering creeks on the property are protected, with judicious planting of local vegetation to protect topsoil and prevent erosion.
Inside, the plant is clean and bright, devoid of any of the smells you might expect in a manufacturing facility. There's an emphasis on green efficiency, with most of the repetitive processes performed by robotic machinery. Electric carts laden with parts and materials silently follow floor-laid tracks—much cleaner and more efficient than traditional forklifts. There are no wasted steps, workers follow a tape-described path on the floor when performing more complex tasks, and assembly lines operate at a height that is comfortable, yet conserves motion.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |
The Chattanooga plant is non-union; employees go through a four-level training process over a course of ten weeks before attaining full certification. At an average $27 US per hour, labour costs are far below the average $58/hour of some domestic automakers. Most of those hired have no previous experience working in the automotive field, and the wage is considered quite good for the area.
The advantages to building locally are many. Not only is the company better able to keep in touch with the market's tastes, it's far easier to make changes and correct problems when every level of production is either under one roof or close by. Other than the engines, which are imported from Mexico and Germany, more than 85% of the Passat's raw materials are sourced from the US.
The plant is a state-of-the-art facility that prides itself on meeting the stringent LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards for environmentally sustainable building practices.
There are a variety of methods employed to reduce energy consumption as well as the plant's impact on the environment. Thick walls insulated with aluminum plate and a white-painted roof dispel heat. A new painting technology that uses no filler reduces CO2 emissions by 20%. Paint overspray is reclaimed and used to make cement.
Rainwater is collected to help reduce water consumption—the plant's use of water is far lower than the industry standard. Outdoor lighting is provided by an energy-saving LED system. Office lighting uses 20 percent less energy thanks to motion-sensing energy-saving lamps. Meandering creeks on the property are protected, with judicious planting of local vegetation to protect topsoil and prevent erosion.
Inside, the plant is clean and bright, devoid of any of the smells you might expect in a manufacturing facility. There's an emphasis on green efficiency, with most of the repetitive processes performed by robotic machinery. Electric carts laden with parts and materials silently follow floor-laid tracks—much cleaner and more efficient than traditional forklifts. There are no wasted steps, workers follow a tape-described path on the floor when performing more complex tasks, and assembly lines operate at a height that is comfortable, yet conserves motion.
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| Photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com |