Volkswagen Is Ramsey's Dream Come True

We heard gratitude expressed by many involved in bringing Volkswagen to Chattanooga, but no one received more praise than County Mayor Claude Ramsey.

Claude Ramsey played a key part in transferring the property at Enterprise South from the Army. And today Ramsey says landing Volkswagen is a dream come true.

"But there's nobody in this community that I'm happier for than Claude Ramsey," United States Senator Bob Corker says.

"And no elected leader deserves more credit today than Claude Ramsey, his heart and soul have been in this all along," Congressman Zach Wamp says.

One by one political leaders credit Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey for his help in landing Volkswagen.

"Ah, what a good day, what a good day," Ramsey tells a large crowd at the Volkswagen announcement.

It's a stark contrast to the day Ramsey and other local leaders endured a little over a year ago when they were told Toyota chose Blue Springs, Mississippi over the site at Enterprise South. But even with that loss, Ramsey maintained the site could, and would, land the 'big fish'.

"It's about the future not just one issue not just one project but about the whole future of economic development," Ramsey told us in February 2007.

And it turns out the future and the 'fish' is Volkswagen.

"It's been a dream of mine I've worked on it for fifteen years, fourteen years, however long it's been but the good thing about it is it has opportunity for a long time to come, it's wonderful," Ramsey says.

A wonderful vision now turned reality that Ramsey says he worked towards with four different mayors, all while ignoring his critics.

"I've always thought that we had a chance to do this some of the neasayers and critics are just neasayers and critics if you were passing out candy they'd object to the county candy," Ramsey says.

But Ramsey says Volkswagen will bring a sweetness that will be savored for years.

"It's hard to describe, it's wonderful, this is going to be fantastic for this community for years to come," Ramsey says.

And Mayor Ramsey has said he will not run for re-election, some people speculated that Ramsey ran this term to make sure an auto plant would end up here at Enterprise South.