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, each holding 50% interests. Asea’s history dates back to 1883. BBC Brown Boveri was founded in 1891. As one of the Fortune 500 countries, 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 120,000 employees in more than100 countries with revenues around $35 billion in 2008.
ABB invented, built and brought into commercial operation the world’s first tri-phase power transmission system as well as the world’s first self-cooling transformer. Today ABB has a broad product portfolio including power transformers and distribution transformers, various kinds of switchgears and circuit breakers, high-voltage and medium-voltage products and technologies, AC and DC transmission and distribution systems, utility automation systems, measurement and sensor devices, real-time control and optimization systems, robot hardware and software and simulation, energy-saving motors and drives, power quality, conversion and synchronization systems, fuses and switchgears for power system protection, and low-voltage products and systems.
ABB's relationship with China dates back to the beginning of the last century, when we 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 took a decisive step forward and moved our China headquarters to Beijing. One year later, we set up ABB (China) Limited in Beijing. Today we have 15,000 employees, 30 local companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities. ABB was rated one of the top 10 favorite employers by university students on China's public recruiting Website in February 2006.
By setting up joint ventures and wholly-owned companies across the country, ABB China has built up strong production, engineering and service bases in the fields of power transmission and distribution, automation products and systems. Our portfolio in China includes the full range of power transformers and distribution transformers; switchgear technologies for high, medium and low voltage applications, electrical drives and motors. These products are used in industrial, commercial and utility applications.
ABB achieved its total revenues of $4.1 billion in China in 2008, keeping China as our No. one market in the world.