Volkswagen Chattanooga will host a diversity supplier trade show that is open to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 1-5 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
"The event, 'Driving Diversity, Accelerating Change,' is an opportunity for minority businesses to network with some of Volkswagen Chattanooga’s tier one suppliers to build relationships, seek subcontracting opportunities and discuss tier one opportunities with Volkswagen purchasing representatives" officials said.
More than 60 suppliers plan to be in attendance for the tradeshow.
“Supplier diversity aligns with Volkswagen’s core values of fairness and equal opportunity by connecting with the historically underutilized supplier base,” said KeeKee Mathis, supplier diversity manager for Volkswagen Chattanooga.
"Volkswagen Chattanooga continues to nurture the supplier diversity program that has been growing since 2008 and has met and surpassed a goal of 10 percent minority spending in production and general purchasing this year. In an effort to meet and exceed this goal, Volkswagen Group of America asked tier one suppliers to make a commitment to partner with diverse suppliers.
"This continued attention to cultivating the minority business community and efforts to work with minority business enterprises was recognized by the Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council when they awarded Volkswagen the Impact Award for Corporation of the Year in 2012 and 2017," officials said.