Editing ABB (section)

=== Predecessor companies and formation ===
{{See also|ASEA|Brown, Boveri & Cie}}
[[File:ASEA1947.jpg|left|thumb|Interior of the assembly hall at ASEA in Västerås, Sweden, 1947.]]
[[ASEA|Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget]] (ASEA, English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company) was founded in 1883 in [[Västerås|Västerås, Sweden]] by Ludvig Fredholm<ref name="Ludvig Fredholm">{{Cite web |url= https://global.abb/group/en/about/history |title= History of ABB |website= ABB Ltd}}</ref> as manufacturer of electrical light and generators.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.europeanceo.com/profiles/abb-group-profits-from-ulrich-spiesshofers-automation-gamble/ |title= ABB Group profits from Ulrich Spiesshofer's automation gamble |date= 18 January 2018 |website= European CEO |language= en-US |access-date= 6 February 2020}}</ref>

[[Brown, Boveri & Cie]] (BBC) was formed in 1891 in [[Zürich|Zurich, Switzerland]] by [[Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown]] and [[Walter Boveri]]<ref name="Walter Boveri">{{Cite web |url= https://new.abb.com/news/detail/639/electrifying-founders |title= Electrifying founders |website= ABB Ltd}}</ref> as a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies producing [[AC motor|AC]] and [[DC motor]]s, generators, steam turbines and transformers.

On 10 August 1987, ASEA and BBC announced they would merge to form ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB).<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title= BBC-Brown, Boveri and Asea Announce Merger |url= https://apnews.com/article/9d699a81e7edcd99c39f324b1ce41a38 |access-date= 9 October 2020 |work= [[AP News]]}}</ref> The new corporation would remain headquartered in both Zurich, Switzerland and Västerås, Sweden, with each parent company holding 50 percent. The merger created a global industrial group with revenue of approximately $15 billion and 160,000 employees.<ref name=":1" />

When ABB began operations on 5 January 1988, its core operations included power generation, transmission and distribution; electric transportation; and industrial automation and robotics.

In its first year, ABB undertook some 15 acquisitions, including the environmental control group Fläkt AB of Sweden, the contracting group Sadelmi/Cogepi of Italy, and the railway manufacturer Scandia-Randers A/S of Denmark.<ref>{{Cite web |last= Crainer |first= Stuart |title= "A.B.B., the Dancing Giant" by Kevin Barham and Claudia Heimer |url= https://www.strategy-business.com/article/9904?gko=4d18f |access-date= 9 October 2020 |website= strategy+business |language= en}}</ref> During 1989, ABB purchased an additional 40 companies, including Westinghouse Electric's transmission and distribution assets, and announced an agreement to purchase the Stamford, Connecticut-based [[Combustion Engineering]] (C-E).<ref>{{Cite news |last= Cole |first= Robert J. |date= 14 November 1989 |title= Combustion To Merge With ABB |language= en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/14/business/combustion-to-merge-with-abb.html |access-date= 9 October 2020 |issn= 0362-4331}}</ref>