Volkswagen Credit to add 150 jobs in Libertyville
By Anna Tarkov atarkov@pioneerlocal.com February 7, 2013 8:07PM
A Volkswagen Passat, left, and an Audi A7 were on display at the grand opening of the expanded VW Credit, Inc., site in Libertyville on Feb. 6. | Michael Schmidt~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 10, 2013 6:09AM
LIBERTYVILLE — With the promise of new jobs, Volkswagen Credit, Inc., officially opened its new 30,000-square-foot expansion at its Libertyville facility.
The $10 million expansion will provide space for 150 new jobs which VCI expects to create through 2018. Additional workstations and conference rooms were built, along with a larger dining area, fitness center and 650 parking spaces.
The new jobs will be in customer service, IT, underwriting as well as support and administrative functions, Dr. Christian Dahlheim, VCI executive vice president and CEO said at the Wednesday ribbon cutting.
The facility will also be the hub for all IT activities in both the U.S. and Canada. VCI is already one of Libertyville’s largest employers, with 530 staffers working in the building at 1401 Franklin Blvd.
Dahlheim praised Libertyville was an ideal place to work. He said choosing the town for their facility was a smart business decision which has allowed the company to draw and retain the best talent.
Dahlheim said that the addition came in ahead of schedule and on budget and joked about that being a rare event.
VCI is wholly owned by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc., but Dahlheim said their growth in recent years makes them a financial powerhouse in their own right.
Now managing 950,707 customer accounts, with plans to reach one million soon, VCI has $22 billion in assets.
VW has experienced three consecutive years of double-digit growth, said Tim Mahoney, chief product and marketing officer, and he said the company hoped to keep the momentum going. In 2012, for instance, 438,133 cars were sold, an increase of 35.1 percent.
Some other ambitious plans were detailed by the CEO of Audi, which is part of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Mark Del Rosso said the company has set a goal of selling 200,000 Audis by 2020. This would be a considerable increase over their current sales.
Libertyville Village President Terry Weppler thanked the company for encouraging volunteerism among their employees.
“Libertyville appreciates the spirit you bring to our community,” he said.
