Asea Brown Boveri
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| ABB | |
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| Type | Public (NYSE: ABB) |
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| Founded | 1988 through merger of Asea, Sweden and BBC, Switzerland |
| Headquarters | Zürich, Switzerland |
| Key people | Fred Kindle, CEO, President |
| Industry | Power technology, Industrial Automation |
| Revenue | US$ 24,412 million (2006) |
| Employees | 108,000 |
| Slogan | Power and productivity for a better world |
| Website | www.abb.com |
ABB, formerly Asea Brown Boveri, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, operating mainly in the power and automation technology areas. It operates in around 100 countries, with about 108,000 employees.
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[edit] Business sectors
ABB is active in many sectors:
[edit] Power products
The division incorporates ABB's manufacturing network for transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, cables and associated equipment. Power Products are the key components to transmit and distribute electricity. It also offers all the services needed to ensure products' performance and extend their lifespan. The division is subdivided into three business units - High Voltage Products, Medium Voltage Products and Transformers.
[edit] Power systems
Power Systems offers turnkey systems and services for power transmission and distribution grids, and for power plants. Electrical substations and substation automation systems are key areas. Additional highlights include flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS), high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems and network management systems. In power generation, Power Systems offers the instrumentation, control and electrification of power plants. The division is subdivided into four business units - Grid Systems, Substations, Network Management and Power Generation.
In the UK, ABB Ltd has supplied and installed Highway / Street / Public Lighting for developers, councils and others.
[edit] Automation products
It provides products to improve customers' productivity, including drives, electric motors and generators, low voltage products, instrumentation and analytical, and power electronics. The customer profile of this division includes a wide range of industry and utility operations, plus commercial and residential buildings.
[edit] Process automation
The main focus of this ABB business is to provide customers with integrated solutions for control, plant optimization, and industry-specific application knowledge. The industries served include oil and gas, power, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, metals and minerals, marine and turbocharging.
[edit] Robotics
ABB has one of the world's largest installed bases of industrial robots also providing robot software, peripheral equipment and modular manufacturing cells for tasks such as assembly, painting and finishing, and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, foundry, packaging, material handling and consumer industries. A strong solutions focus leverages thousands of successful applications for manufacturers worldwide.
[edit] ABB Lummus
In addition to ABB's automation activities directed at the oil and gas industries, ABB Lummus Global continues to design and supply production facilities, refineries and petrochemical plants.
[edit] Telecommunications
In Australia, ABB plays a major role in the installation and maintenance of the country's copper-wire telephone network or 'local loop' (owned by Telstra).
[edit] History
- ABB resulted from the 1988 merger of Swedish and Swiss corporations ASEA and BBC Brown Boveri (Brown, Boveri & Cie), the latter had absorbed the Maschinenfabrik Oerlikon in 1967.
- In 1987 the corporation had 170,000 employees.
- In the early 1990's, ABB purchased Combustion Engineering (C-E) headquartered in Windsor, Connecticut, a leading U.S. firm in the development of conventional fossil fuel power and nuclear power supply systems to break into the North American market.
- In 1999, ABB purchased ELSAG BAILEY (which included Bailey Controls, Hartmann & Braun, and Fischer & Porter)
- In 2000, ABB signed a contract for the delivery of equipment and services for North Korean nuclear powerplants. [1]
- In 2001, ABB formerly divested from a joint venture named ABB-Alstom Power and sold its interest in conventional power supply systems to Alstom Power. ABB also sold its nuclear business to Westinghouse Electric Company.
[edit] External references
[edit] History of leadership
Fred Kindle assumed the role of President and CEO on January 1, 2005. Kindle's most recently served as CEO of Sulzer Ltd. in 2004. Kindle received an engineering degree from ETH Zürich, and received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois, U.S.
Former CEOs:
- September 2002 - December 2004: Jürgen Dormann
- January 2001 - September 2002: Jörgen Centermann
- January 1997 - December 2000: Göran Lindahl
- 1987-1996: Percy Barnevik
Former board members:
[edit] Reference
- ^ Randeep Ramesh. "The two faces of Rumsfeld", The Guardian, May 9, 2003.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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ABB | Alfa Laval | Assa Abloy | AstraZeneca | Atlas Copco | Autoliv | Boliden | Electrolux | Eniro | Ericsson | Hennes & Mauritz | |
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