VW’s assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., will be the home base for the 2012 Volkswagen Passat, the company’s all-new mid-size sedan designed specifically to appeal to U.S. customers. And to make sure it does, VW has put significant efforts into preparing both its plant and its employees for the Passat’s launch. In fact, the automaker even opened a “Volkswagen Academy” at the Chattanooga facility to provide extensive classroom and hands-on training for every new team member.
It’s an approach that paid off even before the first retail Passat came down the line, as the plant was recently audited and confirmed as meeting the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for its ISO 9001: 2008 criteria. The ISO 9001: 2008 standard is recognized around the world as a key indicator of superior quality operating systems that are focused on system optimization and ongoing improvement.
The independent auditors who evaluated the facility said efforts to meet this benchmark were “impressively done with excellent depth and detail within each department,” with planning “very well executed at all levels.”
That’s great news for U.S. Passat customers, who also will benefit from the new, more spacious Passat’s best-in-class rear legroom, affordable pricing, excellent comfort, long list of safety equipment and choice of three different engines. Notably, this includes one of VW’s advanced TDI clean diesels, which can deliver up to 43 mpg on the highway.
“I’m very pleased that Volkswagen Chattanooga has achieved this quality benchmark so early in the process of running this facility,” said Frank Fischer, the facility’s chair and CEO. “From the very start we have emphasized quality, whether in our planning or employee training, as a foundation to building the highest-quality mid-size sedan, and this audit has verified our success in reaching those goals.”
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