VW Targets May 3 for Chattanooga Reopening

Volkswagen says it will reopen its Chattanooga, TN, plant May 3 after a six-week closing triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, while Mazda extends the shutdown of its Japanese plants by one week.

VW says in a news release it will resume its Chattanooga operations in phases to allow time for implementation of new health and safety procedures such as providing new personal protective equipment, ceasing shuttle transportation and replacing cafeteria meals with packed lunches.

The plant initially will operate on a five-day, eight-hour production schedule. The final phase of the reopening, which coincides with lifted restrictions from the State of Tennessee and Hamilton County, will be a complete return to normal operations, the automaker says.

Mazda will extend by one week its shutdown coinciding with the Golden Week observance of four Japanese holidays. In response to the state of emergency declared last week in Japan, plants there will remain closed through May 10. Production will resume May 11 and continue on a modified schedule through the end of the month to match global demand, the company says.