Effort To Gain Giant Manufacturer Started Last November
posted July 16, 2008
) Photo by Wes Schultz County Mayor Claude Ramsey is at left with Volkswagen President Stefan Jacoby, Gov. Phil Bredesen and Mayor Ron Littlefield |
Mr. Ramsey said he was at an event at the Chattanoogan hotel with Sen. Bob Corker when he first was notified of that possibility. He said he pulled Sen. Corker aside and asked him to see what he could find out about the Volkswagen plans.
Mr. Ramsey said he actually has been involved for 15 years in the process leading up to the big Volkswagen announcement. He remembered a visit to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., with then-Mayor Jon Kinsey when a "salty" Army official pushed for selling some of the vast Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant base, saying, "They've got the money, and we don't need the land."
He said a woman "named Nancy" at the state enivornmental office was a constant help in getting the land cleaned up and permitted. He said he was afterwards able to say that "the only safety concerns out there are stepping in one of the holes that have been drilled" in testing for contaminants.
He also praised the work of Becky Browder, formerly of county real property, and Steve Leach, current city public works administrator, in readying Enterprise South.
He said when Volkswagen was first approached, they were non-committal, but local and state officials dug in their heels and began going all out to try to make the dream a reality.
Mr. Ramsey said he never visited Volkswagen during the selection process, though another key player, Economic Development Commissioner Matt Kisber, made a trip there.
He said there were high-level meetings in Texas at the offices of the Staubach firm, which was helping with the site selection, as well as in Washington.
Volkswagen officials came for several Chattanooga visits, including one dinner event at the home of Sen. Corker in Riverview attended by about 120 people.
He said another time a German delegation toured the site as well as downtown. He said they were highly impressed with the accomplishments along the downtown riverfront.
Last Friday, there were phone calls from top Volkswagen officials to Sen. Corker and Gov. Bredesen informing them that Chattanooga had won the prize. Sen. Corker stepped out of a Senate energy hearing to take the car, and he said he was overwhelmed and initially speechless. Gov. Bredesen was in Alaska on a fishing trip with his son.
Mr. Ramsey would not say when he learned that Chattanooga had it in hand, but he indicated it was prior to that Friday.
He said when he was hearing reports that the plant was going to Huntsville, Ala., instead of here "I wanted to say, 'No, that's not right,' but we were under a confidentiality agreement."
Mr. Ramsey said reports about a "consolation prize" of a Volkswagen engine plant were off base. Volkswagen officials said they currently have an engine plant in Mexico.
The county mayor said he was in close contact with Commissioner Kisber and with Trevor Hamilton of the Chamber of Commerce throughout the process.
He said one night his wife remarked that he had not gotten a phone call from Mr. Hamilton. He said, "At that time the phone rang, and it was Trevor."
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