The VW logo is seen on the front of one of dozens of new Passats made at the Chattanooga Volkswagen assembly plant parked outside the plant.

Volkswagen today will mark the opening of a new $40 million warehouse and distribution center in East Tennessee.

The 400,000-square-foot facility in Lenoir City is expected to employ about 45 people with an annual payroll of about $3 million, according to the company.

The facility was built on 54.6 acres at the Roane Regional Business and Technology Park along Interstate-40.

The center will distribute domestic auto parts for the Chattanooga-made Passat as well as other VW and Audi vehicles.

The site will begin as a redistribution center to service warehouses and later expand to include a parts distribution location, the company said.

The redistribution depot will support the U.S., Canada and Mexico and is aimed at improving service parts delivery times to over 100 dealers.