Monday Morning Quarterbacking: What Other Towns Are Saying About Chattanooga's Volkswagen Victory

I've been checking out coverage in other cities of the big V-W announcement.

It's interesting to see how others view us, particularly if a little jealousy is mixed in.

Here's what I found:

Clarkesville Leaf Chronicle

This article is congratulatory and complementory.  It also talks about how Clarkesville (Tennessee's next largest city behind us) was in the early running itself.  And they should take heart from our victory.

The Quote: "Congratulations to Tennessee's fourth-largest, and perhaps most creatively developed city — Chattanooga — on winning the $1 billion Volkswagen assembly plant."

Nolan Finley's Blog

The editorial page editor of the Detroit News had this to say about Chattanooga beating out the Michigan site.

The Quote:

"What's Tennessee got that Michigan doesn't?

Low taxes, for starters. Tennessee doesn't have a state income tax.

It also doesn't have a pro-union bias. Tennessee is a right-to-work state, which seems to be important to foreign automakers.

Michigan never had a chance."

The Detroit News

The paper's "Travel Diva" just happened to be driving through town when the big announcement came down.

She's no Business/Automotive expert, but she did have some interesting comments on how the look of the city may have played a role in Volkswagen's decision.

The Quote:

"So I was driving through union-free Chattanooga today enroute from Atlanta to Nashville, when I noticed that, hey, this is a really nice place. Nestled in a valley, surrounded by high hills covered in emerald forests, the city is clean, green and as relaxed as your uncle in a rocking chair."

And Another Quote:

"This makes the people in Tennessee happy. It leaves Michigan in the corner again, like the once popular girl who now can't get a dance."

The Times Daily (Muscle Shoals, Alabama)

It's one thing to have local politicians give each other credit for their hard work on the project.  But it's more impressive when your competitors do, too.

The Quote:

"We picked up that Chattanooga was very aggressive at the local level demonstrating how much they wanted this project," Alabama Development Office Director Neal Wade said.

The Huntsville Times

For generations now, Chattanooga's rival has been Knoxville.  We have always told ourselves, if you take away the University, they are no better than us.  And lately, it's been gratifying that they are actually hiring our people (Jon Kinsey & Associates) to duplicate our Riverfront & Downtown rennovation.

But I submit, our true rival is now Huntsville.  While both Knoxville and Chattanooga clung to our old southern ways over the last 50 years, Huntsville became the space town, and passed us.

The once, quaint town is now bigger with a far better economy.  Sure, it's still a flat, strip mall sprawl kind of place with nothing that compares to our Riverfront.  But they are drawing in newcomers far better than us.

So Volkswagen is our first shot back at them.  How did they take the news?

Chattanooga Happy, Quiet

The Huntsville Times reporter was in town for the announcement and got reaction from the downtown area.

The Quote:

"Although the Scenic City has developed a bustling trade in tourism, from the aquarium to the zoo to the shops on either side of the pedestrian bridge over the Tennessee River, other parts of the city tell a different story: South Market Street teems with boarded up windows and "For Rent" signs."

And the writer seemed to delight in some of the clueless responses some of our informed citizens gave.

"I don't have a clue, man," said a fellow in a Chattanooga Online polo shirt, typing on his cell phone.

Even near the Tennessee Aquarium downtown, news was slow to spread. "I don't know what you're talking about, actually," said a girl working at the Chattanooga Visitors Center.

A clerk in one craft store said she knew the decision was coming but didn't pay attention to the outcome. "My parents care," she added.

Why Not Hunstsville?

And here is the Monday morning quarterbacking in Hunstville.

Some say we bought the plant....

The Quote: 

"Some are saying it all came down to just one big thing: cash"

And others say we just out-hussled them.

The Quote:

"Camp, the site-selection expert, said because Chattanooga owns its site, it may have had more flexibility on land prices. He also noted Tennessee's strong recruitment team, which included Sen. Lamar Alexander, a former Tennessee governor; U.S. Rep. Bob Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor; and Johnny Hayes, a former TVA board member and political operative."

The City News (Nashville)

An interesting profile of Phil Bredesen, the deal maker.

He negotiated to bring the Titans to Nashville, expand the Opryland Hotel, bring Nissan's Headquarters to town and now Volkswagen.

He's a former CEO himself who can speak the language, but critics say he gives away too much.

The Quote: “I try to do the numbers carefully and try to make sure we’re not doing something stupid, but in the end you’ve got to step up to the plate.”

Senator Alexander endorses the Governor's negotiating skills.  And as the first Tennessee Governor to land an auto plant, Alexander has an even loftier goal for the state.

Another Quote: “I believe there’s nothing quite like the auto industry,” Alexander said. “I mean after the assembly plants come, the white collar jobs in the Volkswagen case and in the Nissan headquarters case, then come more suppliers, and they spread out all over the state. It’s Tennessee’s future to have as its goal to be the No. 1 auto state in the country.”

And finally, my favorite headline on the announcement, courtesy of The Daily Times in Blount County.

"Volkswagen choo-chooses Chattanooga"