Local

New automotive company rapidly increasing employees

ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta's newest jobs creator is up and hiring. Channel 2's Jim Strickland got a full-access pass to a company called voestalpine in Bartow County.

The name has no capital, but it's spending $70 million on a multiphase manufacturing campus.

"We have a feeling that we're very welcome here," said voestalpine president Philipp Schulz.

The company makes structural and engine parts for Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen. The number of employees is expected to balloon from the current three dozen workers to more than 200.

Hector Hernandez of Cartersville came to the assembly line from an unemployment line.

"I feel relieved. I feel good. I had started working for my kids, my family," Hernandez told Strickland.

Schulz says the company's decision to locate in Bartow County is all about auto plants in bordering states.

"We have three main customers that we're used to from Europe around this area and we're right in the middle of them," said Schulz.

Trey Pierson is responsible for shipping the end product. He was unemployed too.

"It was really an elation. I really like what I'm doing. My wife is very happy," he said with a laugh.

Workers go through manufacturing staffing specialist Debbie Underkoffler at North Georgia Staffing, before they go full time.

She sees more jobs coming in other fields.

"A lot of stuff in the medical industry. Many of those companies are hiring. There (are) also some things going on in the amusement industry as well," she told Strickland.

Schulz said voestalpine already has two more phases planned, and expects to be hiring over the next five years.