National Press Release

State and community leaders will join Volkswagen executives to celebrate the new factory's first wall and environmental focus

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Volkswagen Group will highlight its commitment to growth, meeting future goals and environmental sustainability at a May 14 plant wall-raising ceremony.

Professor Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Group; Frank Fischer, Chairman and CEO, VWGOA Chattanooga Operations and Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, will be joined by Governor Phil Bredesen and other state and community leaders to mark the construction milestone and highlight the plant's green features and the Volkswagen Group's environmentally friendly products and initiatives.

The ceremony participants will also participate in a press conference at the site of Volkswagen Group's new U.S. plant outside Chattanooga.

What: Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Plant Wall-Raising Ceremony

Where: Site of new Volkswagen Group U.S. plant. From 1-75 N or S, take Exit 7 (Bonny Oaks Drive) and head west. Merge onto Bonny Oaks Drive/TN-317 and continue to Enterprise South site.

When: Thursday, May 14, 2009

1:15 PRESS CONFERENCE

Construction trailer at Volkswagen plant site (Enterprise South)

Availability with members of Volkswagen Group Board of Management (Chairman, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn; Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg; Dr. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz; Prof. Dr. Jochem Heizmann; Christian Klingler; Prof. Dr. Werner Neubauer; Dr. Horst Neumann and Lothar Sander), Frank Fischer, Chairman and CEO, VWGOA Chattanooga Operations; and Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. WALL-RAISING CEREMONY

Volkswagen plant site (Enterprise South)

Ceremony participants will include Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Frank Fischer, Stefan Jacoby, Governor Phil Bredesen and fifth graders from Chattanooga's Calvin Donaldson Elementary School.

Visuals will include raising of a section of the plant's wall, punctuated by daytime fireworks.

3:00 LIMITED MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Opportunity to interview ceremony participants and spectators.

    CONTACT: April Wortham
    (423) 755-4980 (office);
    (423) 488-1617 (mobile)
    april.wortham@vw.com

SOURCE Volkswagen Group of America