ABB in China
The ABB Group was formed in 1988, when the Swedish Asea and the Swiss BBC Brown Boveri merged under the name of ABB. The two predecessors were founded in 1883 and 1891 respectively. As one of the Fortune top 500 companies, ABB is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group has about 130,000 employees in more than100 countries with revenues around $32 billion in 2010.
ABB invented, built and brought into commercial operation many products and systems including the world’s first tri-phase power transmission system, the first self-cooling transformer, high-voltage direct current power transmission system and the first industrial robot.
ABB’s broad product portfolio includes the full range of power transformers and distribution transformers, switchgears for low-voltage, high-voltage and medium-voltage applications; AC and DC transmission and distribution systems, utility automation systems, measurement and sensor devices, real-time control and optimization systems, robot hardware, software and simulation, energy-saving motors and drives, power quality, conversion and synchronization systems, fuses and switchgears for power system protection. These products are used in industrial, commercial and utility applications.
ABB's relationship with China dates back to 100 years ago when it supplied the country with a steam boiler in 1907. In 1974, the ABB in China operation was formally established in Hong Kong, which was followed by our first permanent office in Beijing in 1979. In 1994, we moved our China headquarters to Beijing, and set up ABB (China) Limited in Beijing in 1995. Today we have 18,000 employees, 34 local companies, and an extensive R&D and engineering, sales and service network across 80 cities. ABB achieved its total revenues of $4.4 billion in China in 2009, keeping China as the No. one market for ABB in the world. ABB attaches great importance to attracting, developing and retaining talents, keeping active in sharing social responsibilities, and is a widely recognized good employer in China.