Der Wolfsburger Autoproduzent baut eine Fabrik im Bundesstaat Tennessee. Der Aufsichtsrat genehmigt dafür Investitionen bis zu 1 Mrd. $ (rund 620 Mio. Euro). Anfang 2011 sollen in der Stadt in Chattanooga die ersten VW-Modelle vom Band laufen.

* Porsche-Chef auf Abwegen: Wiedeking, der Bauernfreund (http://www.ftd.de/koepfe/:Porsche%20Chef%20Abwegen%20Wiedeking%20Bauernfreund/384554.html)

* Aktienkauf: Porsche sichert sich Macht bei VW (http://www.ftd.de/unternehmen/autoindustrie/:Aktienkauf%20Porsche%20Macht%20VW/384082.html)

* Kommentar: Porsche kann sich VW-Mehrheit leisten (http://www.ftd.de/meinung/kommentare/:Kommentar%20Porsche%20VW%20Mehrheit/384218.html)

* Das Kapital: VW wird zur Last für Porsche (http://www.ftd.de/boersen_maerkte/aktien/marktberichte/:Das%20Kapital%20VW%20Last%20Porsche/382695.html)

* Unwetter in Emden: VW-Hagelschaden trifft Versicherer hart (http://www.ftd.de/unternehmen/versicherungen/:Unwetter%20Emden%20VW%20Hagelschaden%20Versicherer/381322.html)

VW strebt in der ersten Stufe eine jährliche Produktionskapazität von 150.000 Autos an. Mit der neuen Fabrik nimmt VW den zweiten Anlauf in den USA und startet nach 20 Jahren wieder mit dem Autobau in Amerika. Wegen anhaltender Verluste hatte der Konzern 1988 sein Werk in Westmoreland im Bundesstaat Pennsylvania geschlossen und seitdem Autos aus Europa oder Mexiko eingeführt.

Angesichts des schwachen Dollarkurses verdienen europäische Autohersteller mit im Euro-Raum gebauten und nach Amerika exportierten Fahrzeugen derzeit allerdings kaum noch Geld. Mit einer eigenen Fabrik in den USA kann die Abhängigkeit vom Wechselkurs dagegen fast vollständig ausgeschaltet werden. "Das Werk ist gemeinsam mit unserer Wachstumsstrategie eine Voraussetzung für den wirtschaftlichen Erfolg des Unternehmens im Dollar-Raum", sagte VW-Chef Martin Winterkorn. Mercedes und BMW betreiben bereits seit Jahren Fabriken im Süden der USA.

Das US-Geschäft ist für VW wegen einer verfehlten Modellpolitik seit Jahren ein Problemfall. Im neuen Werk will der Konzern speziell an den US-Markt angepasste Modelle bauen, zunächst nur für die Marke VW. Allerdings ist das gekaufte Gelände mit einer Fläche von 550 Hektar groß genug, um später auch eine Montagehalle für die Tochtermarke Audi zu errichten. "Sobald dort ein funktionierendes Werk steht, ist es sinnvoll über weitere Montagekapazitäten nachzudenken", sagte ein Sprecher. Audi-Chef Rupert Stadler hatte in der Vergangenheit stets betont, dass die Überlegungen für eine US-Fabrik von VW und Audi gemeinsam betrieben würden.

Auf dem neuen VW-Werksgelände könnte mittelfristig auch Großaktionär Porsche einziehen. Die Stuttgarter, die derzeit 36 Prozent der VW-Anteile kontrollieren, importieren ihre Sportwagen für den US-Markt alle aus Europa. Wegen des schwachen Dollars sinkt dabei die Gewinnmarge der Flitzer.

If you ask Michaela Driver what she does for a living and what she does for fun, her answers will be one and the same: international investment real estate. There's no dividing line between her work and personal life. There's no immediate family to make demands on her. There's the only the time between waking up and going to sleep and the one thing with which she fills it.

Driver is passionate about what she does. She'll readily admit her work is the sole focus of her life and that it defines her as a person. And yet she appears to consume it rather than allowing it to consumer her.

"I don't feel like I'm working. People say if you enjoy what you do for a living, then it doesn't feel like work. I must be one of those because time flies by. The day is gone and then the week. I live it and breathe it," she says, a rich German accent giving her words an exotic flair.

A biographical sketch of Driver reveals interesting details. She was born and raised in Germany, then came to the United States to work as a language instructor for the 163rd Military Intelligence Battalion in Fort Hood, Texas. Although she taught German, she can hold her own in French, Italian and Spanish, making one wonder if there's anything she does halfway.

When asked (in English) how she made the jump from language instructor to businesswoman, Driver mentions only that she obtained her Broker's license in 1986 and started knocking on doors. Prior to that, she owned and rented out a number of residential properties and became fascinated with passive income.

"There's nothing better than passive income," she says, sitting upright in a well-pressed business suit, every hair in place. "Suppose you earn $100,000 a year at your job. The first thing you have to do is mark off 30 percent for the IRS. And you have to work for it everyday.

"Now let's say you make a rental income of $160,000 on a building. Not only do you not have to mark off 30 percent, you get to say you operated at a loss because the building depreciated. So, not only did you make money, you can legally say you didn't. Plus, it comes in while you're sleeping. What could be better than that?"

One assumes Driver does sleep, even if the manner in which she fits everything she does into her schedule is a mystery. She takes advantage of every opportunity to improve her knowledge through continuing education, for example, and when it comes to digging up new clients, she leaves no stone unturned.

Driver retains membership in nearly two dozen organizations, including CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women) and FIABCI (The International Real Estate Federation) in order to stay at the cutting edge of her industry. And if an organization appears to offer her a way to reach new clients or serve her current clients better, she's onboard in a heartbeat.

All of this extracurricular activity can lead to a lot of time on the road, so she spends most work days with her phone attached to her ear. In early April, for example, Driver attended a Commercial Real Estate Due Diligence seminar in New York and then worked her way down to Washington, D.C. for three days of business meetings with FIABCI. Continuing education is another major focus for Driver, who sought out classes by Aida Turbow, director of New Homes Resort International Division for Prudential Florida WCI. It wasn't Turbow's money-making prowess that impressed Driver (Turbow has brokered multi-billion dollar deals) but her level of competency.

"I go to great lengths to learn from the best teachers and attend the best conventions. This is my career and my future, so I'm investing in it. Anything I learn and any new contact I make, that's the seed I plant today. In three or five years, that seed will be bearing fruit," Driver says.

Her work ethic is producing results already. Driver treats each property as though it were her own, strategically identifying potential buyers and then figuring out how to pursue them. Although she utilizes traditional advertising, she's a big believer in actively pursuing clients rather than buying ads and hoping someone sees them.

Driver is based out of RE/MAX Properties North in Hixson, Tenn., but her home office is only a tack on a much larger map. For the last 22 years, she's worked with sellers and investors all over the United States and Europe.

"Thirty to 40 percent of all real estate transactions have an international component. Either the seller, buyer, property or money are foreign. A lot of the properties at which investors are looking are driven by how much they make, not by where they're located," says Driver, who adds that 60 percent of all real estate transactions in the future could have an international component.

When you combine Driver's experience in international investment real estate with the skills she's gained and the contacts she's made, it appears she has the expertise foreign clients desire. But that's not all investors want in a liaison; they're also looking for someone they can trust.

"If somebody from Europe wants to buy in the U.S., I'm uniquely qualified. The language and the trust factor are there. I can advise them as to which markets and which product types in the U.S. are viable," she says. This makes her a good fit with RE/MAX, which has offices in 60 countries.

When asked what she sees herself doing in five, ten or even 20 years, Driver says she expects to be doing bigger deals." She knows it's going to take a lot of work to get to that point, but rather than feeling exhausted at the thought, Driver appears invigorated.

"I want to be good at what I do. Very few people do it, so if I don't believe in my career, who will?" she asks, knowing the question is rhetorical. With drive like hers, does anyone else need to?

/CHATTANOOGA//, TN/ (APRIL 15, 2008/)-(MICHAELA DRIVER, CCIM), (DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, RE/MAX Properties North , Chattanooga),/ has been awarded the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation by the CCIM Institute. The designation was awarded during the Institute business meetings April 10 in Newport Beach, California.

/Driver/ is among only 10,000 professionals in the world who earned the designation by passing the Institute's Comprehensive Examination, the final element in the designation process. Less than 1 percent of commercial real estate professionals in the world hold the coveted CCIM designation.

The CCIM designation is awarded to commercial real estate professionals upon successful completion of a graduate-level education curriculum and presentation of a portfolio of qualifying industry experience. The curriculum addresses: financial analysis, market analysis, user decision analysis and investment analysis - the cornerstones of commercial investment real estate. CCIMs are recognized experts in commercial real estate brokerage, leasing, asset management, valuation, and investment analysis.

CCIMs have access to unparalleled level of valuable online tools, including the Site To Do Business, a suite of mapping, demographic and other analytical resources. And, all CCIMs can market properties for sale or lease through CCIMNet, a leading national commercial property exchange.

/(Driver is a leading expert in commercial investment real estate with 22 years experience. She is working in international real estate and specializes in European investors who buy all over the United States. Driver speaks English and German. )/

The CCIM business network encompasses 1,000 markets throughout North America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Of the estimated 125,000 commercial real estate practitioners in North America, more than 9,500 currently hold the CCIM designation. CCIM Designees include professionals who work in brokerage, investment and development, the corporate environment, property management, appraisal and related segments of commercial real estate. An additional 9,500 professionals are pursuing the designation as Institute candidates.

The Chicago-based CCIM Institute is an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors® and is the governing body of the largest commercial real estate network in the world. Visit www.ccim.com <http://www.ccim.com/> to learn more, or call 800-621-7027.

expertclick.com Medal of Honor Awarded to International Real Estate Broker for Distinguished Service New York, NY 10022 April 2 2008 At their Spring Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, the United States Chapter of the International Federation, known by the acronym FIABCI-USA, awarded two of its members the Medal of Honor. Ms. Eugenia Foxworth, of New York City, NY and Ms. Michaela Driver of Chattanooga TN were the newest recipients of this prestigious award.

Eugenia Foxworth, Associate Broker with Warburg Realty Partnership, in NYC, has been a member of FIABCI-USA since 2003. Active at many levels of the organization, she was given the award in recognition of her dedicated service to the organization as President of the NYC Local Council of FIABCI-USA (2005-2006) (first African-American to hold position in 54 years), as a team member for two of FIABCI-USA presidents Joe Stanfield (2005-2006) and Dagmar Sands (2006-2007),working on various committees, and for her on going professional and personal contributions to the membership.

Ms. Driver and Ms. Foxworth also received the “Purple Snow Flake” award because of their ability to successfully accomplish things “out of the box”.

FIABCI, the leading international real estate membership organization in the world, is comprised of over 1 million members in 65 countries. The membership is made up of professionals from all aspects of the real estate industry, including brokers, financial investors, property managers and legal experts in the field of real estate.

Foxworth and Driver were presented with their Medals during the Annual Celebration Dinner and closing ceremonies at this year’s Spring meeting.