Talk:ABB

Swiss-Swedish

Is it correct to refer to this company as Swiss-Swedish? It is a multinational registered as an Ltd. and is owned by various investors. PhotographyEdits (talk) 10:52, 23 November 2022 (UTC)

Very good point. The ABB Articles of Incorporation 2024 clearly refer to it being incorporated and headquartered in Zurich only. In that way it is similar to former Dutch-British multinationals such as Unilever or Shell plc, meaning it should be referred to as "Swiss multinational", despite major Swedish ownership. ~~ Stadscykel (talk) 15:46, 31 October 2024 (UTC)

Rolling stock

In the intro it say: ”Between 1989 and 1999, the company was also active in the rolling stock manufacturing sector.”

I don’t think that is true. Both ASEA and Brown, Boveri & Cie produced rolling stock (EMU:s and locomotives) right up until the merger in 1988. When it comes to ASEA, I know that products developed by ASEA (like X10-family of EMU:s and X2000) were built as ABB.

It seems implausible that rolling stock part weren’t merged with the rest of the companies right from the start, giving a gap of a year. 155.4.85.190 (talk) 15:10, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

Yes, ASEA was producing locomotives in sweden since the early 1900's

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ASEA_locomotives 89.233.240.133 (talk) 16:00, 11 July 2024 (UTC)

The section "Rolling stock manufacturing" seems to only to refer to activities in the UK.

ABB was producing rolling stock before 1989 at several locations mainly in Sweden and Switzerland since both ASEA and BBC had produced rolling stock since the early 1900's. 89.233.240.133 (talk) 16:11, 11 July 2024 (UTC)

Disclosure of paid editing

Hello community, please excuse me, I didn't know that I had to publish a note on the user page about dealing with paid editing. I just made up for it on the user page, I of course followed the Wikipedia guidelines when writing the text, especially the neutral point of view Clara.abb (talk) 11:52, 7 July 2025 (UTC)

Hello Clara.abb, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your diligence. Though as I suppose you are aware, paid edits are not completely prohibited here, they are (alongside other conflict-of-interest edits) discouraged. I recommend proposing ideas for the large-scale improvement of the article right here, on this Talk page; it will probably take a while for someone to notice, but an editor usually comes around in the end! Rebestalic^{[leave a message....]} 07:41, 11 July 2025 (UTC)

Edit request August 2025

Lead

I suggest replacing “ABB Group” with “ABB Ltd” in the introduction. The company’s legally registered name is ABB Ltd, which functions as the parent entity of the ABB Group. While “ABB Group” is a commonly used trade name, the official corporate name in filings, shareholder registers, and other formal documents is ABB Ltd.

Infobox (before)

ABB Group is a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation. Incorporated in Switzerland as ABB Ltd., and headquartered in Zurich, it is dual-listed on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, and the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. ABB was ranked 340th in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2020 and has been a global Fortune 500 company for 24 years.

Lead (proposal)

ABB Ltd is a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation. Incorporated in Switzerland as ABB Ltd., and headquartered in Zurich, it is dual-listed on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, and the SIX Swiss Exchange in Zurich. ABB was ranked 340th in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2020 and has been a global Fortune 500 company for 24 years.

History (Predecessor companies and formation)

The correct English rendering of the company’s name is “General Swedish Electrical Company Limited”, not “General Swedish Electrical Limited Company.”

Predecessor companies and formation (before)

Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA, English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company) was founded in 1883 in Västerås, Sweden by Ludvig Fredholm as manufacturer of electrical light and generators.

Predecessor companies and formation (proposal)

Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (ASEA, English translation: General Swedish Electrical Company Limited) was founded in 1883 in Västerås, Sweden by Ludvig Fredholm as manufacturer of electrical light and generators.

Predecessor companies and formation

I suggest changing the founding location from “Zurich“ to “Baden near Zurich“. While Zurich is sometimes mentioned as a regional reference, specifying Baden is more precise and consistent with verifiable records.

Predecessor companies and formation (before)

Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was formed in 1891 in Zurich, Switzerland by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri as a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies producing AC and DC motors, generators, steam turbines and transformers.

Predecessor companies and formation (proposal)

Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) was formed in 1891 in Baden near Zurich, Switzerland by Charles Eugene Lancelot Brown and Walter Boveri as a Swiss group of electrical engineering companies producing AC and DC motors, generators, steam turbines and transformers.

Predecessor companies and formation

Due to the previous change in the founding location, the sentence regarding the new headquarters would also need to be slightly adjusted.

Predecessor companies and formation (before)

On 10 August 1987, ASEA and BBC announced they would merge to form ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB). 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.

Predecessor companies and formation (proposal)

On 10 August 1987, ASEA and BBC announced they would merge to form ASEA Brown Boveri (ABB). The new corporation would be 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.

Predecessor companies and formation

I suggest using “its core businesses included“ instead of “its core operations included“ in this sentence. In corporate and financial language, “core businesses“ is the more precise and widely used term to describe a company’s main divisions or activity areas.

Predecessor companies and formation (before)

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

Predecessor companies and formation (proposal)

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

Predecessor companies and formation

I suggest replacing “During 1989“ with “In 1989“. “In + year“ is the standard construction to indicate when specific events took place. “During“ is typically reserved for describing actions that were continuous or spanned an unspecified period within that year. “In“ is more concise and stylistically appropriate in this historical context.

Predecessor companies and formation (before)

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. 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).

Predecessor companies and formation (proposal)

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. In 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).

History (1990s)

I would suggest changing “during“ to “in“ again.

1990s (before)

During 1990, ABB bought the robotics business of Cincinnati Milacron in the US. The acquisition expanded ABB's presence in automated spot-welding and positioned the company to better serve the American automotive industry. ABB's 1991 introduction of the IRB 6000 robot, demonstrated its increased capacity in this field. The first modular robot, the IRB 6000, can be reconfigured to perform a variety of specific tasks. At the time of its launch, the IRB 6000 was the fastest and most accurate spot-welding robot on the market.

1990s (proposal)

In 1990, ABB bought the robotics business of Cincinnati Milacron in the US. The acquisition expanded ABB's presence in automated spot-welding and positioned the company to better serve the American automotive industry. ABB's 1991 introduction of the IRB 6000 robot, demonstrated its increased capacity in this field. The first modular robot, the IRB 6000, can be reconfigured to perform a variety of specific tasks. At the time of its launch, the IRB 6000 was the fastest and most accurate spot-welding robot on the market.

1990s

I suggest switching the order of these two paragraphs. The second paragraph begins with events in 1990, while the first one starts with developments in the early 1990s and moves forward to 1991–1994. Presenting the 1990 expansion into Australia before the broader 1990s developments in Europe and Asia follows a clearer chronological sequence and improves the readability of the history section.

1990s (before)

In the early 1990s, ABB started expanding in Central and Eastern Europe. By the end of 1991, the company employed 10,000 people in the region. The following year, that number doubled. A similar pattern played out in Asia, where economic reforms in China and the lifting of some economic sanctions, helped open the region to a new wave of outside investment and industrial growth. By 1994, ABB had 30,000 employees and 100 plants, engineering, service and marketing centers across Asia; numbers that would continue to grow. Through the 1990s, ABB continued its strategy of targeted expansion in Eastern Europe, the Asia–Pacific region and the Americas.

In 1990, ABB also expanded into Australia when it acquired Commonwealth Engineering's (Comeng) plant in Dandenong, Melbourne. ABB continued to manufacture Comeng's B-class Melbourne tram at the plant. However, it did not continue manufacturing Comeng's Adelaide 3000 class railcar, which was manufactured by Clyde Engineering instead.

1990s (proposal)

In 1990, ABB also expanded into Australia when it acquired Commonwealth Engineering's (Comeng) plant in Dandenong, Melbourne. ABB continued to manufacture Comeng's B-class Melbourne tram at the plant. However, it did not continue manufacturing Comeng's Adelaide 3000 class railcar, which was manufactured by Clyde Engineering instead.

In the early 1990s, ABB started expanding in Central and Eastern Europe. By the end of 1991, the company employed 10,000 people in the region. The following year, that number doubled. A similar pattern played out in Asia, where economic reforms in China and the lifting of some economic sanctions, helped open the region to a new wave of outside investment and industrial growth. By 1994, ABB had 30,000 employees and 100 plants, engineering, service and marketing centers across Asia; numbers that would continue to grow. Through the 1990s, ABB continued its strategy of targeted expansion in Eastern Europe, the Asia–Pacific region and the Americas.

--Clara.abb (talk) 08:07, 2 September 2025 (UTC)

Most of these suggestions are sound and seem fine to implement!

The proposal that should not be adopted is replacing “ABB Group” with “ABB Ltd” in the lead. You acknowledge “ABB Group” as the common trade name, and per WP:COMMONNAME and WP:OFFICIALNAMES, Wikipedia uses the name most widely employed in reliable independent sources, with the legal name noted later in the lead/infobox. This article is about the entire group, not about the specific legal entity. Officialworks (talk) 15:54, 11 September 2025 (UTC)

References

Clara.abb (talk) 08:07, 2 September 2025 (UTC)

Already done : since the requesting editor has already implemented these changes, I am marking this request as answered. Chess enjoyer (talk) 21:11, 13 October 2025 (UTC)

Edit request September 2025

Elsag Bailey section

I propose deleting two phrases (in exchange, which) for grammatical reasons.

Elsag section (before)

That same year, ABB completed its purchase of Elsag Bailey Process Automation, a Netherlands-based maker of industrial control systems, in exchange for $2.1 billion. The acquisition increased ABB's presence in the high-tech industrial robotics and factory control system sectors, which reducing its reliance on traditional heavy engineering sectors such as power generation and transmission.

Elsag section (proposal)

That same year, ABB completed its purchase of Elsag Bailey Process Automation, a Netherlands-based maker of industrial control systems, for $2.1 billion. The acquisition increased ABB's presence in the high-tech industrial robotics and factory control system sectors, reducing its reliance on traditional heavy engineering sectors such as power generation and transmission.

Alstom section

Here I suggest removing a comma (after Alstom).

Alstom section

That same year, ABB and France-based Alstom, announced the merger of their power generation businesses in a 50-50 joint company, ABB Alstom Power. Separately, in December 1999, ABB agreed to sell its nuclear power business to British Nuclear Fuels of the United Kingdom.

Alstom section

That same year, ABB and France-based Alstom announced the merger of their power generation businesses in a 50-50 joint company, ABB Alstom Power. Separately, in December 1999, ABB agreed to sell its nuclear power business to British Nuclear Fuels of the United Kingdom.

ABB Alstom Power section

Here I propose changing "during" to "in", as in the previous edit request.

ABB Alstom Power (before)

During 2000, ABB divested its interests in ABB Alstom Power and sold its boiler and fossil-fuel operations (including Gas turbines) to Alstom.

ABB Alstom Power (proposal)

In 2000, ABB divested its interests in ABB Alstom Power and sold its boiler and fossil-fuel operations (including Gas turbines) to Alstom.

Loss

Here I suggest a change of the sentence structure and a removal of nearly.

Loss (before)

The loss was caused by ABB's decision to nearly double its provisions for settlement costs in asbestos-related litigation against its American subsidiary Combustion Engineering from $470 million to $940 million.

Loss (proposal)

The loss was caused by ABB's decision to double its provisions for settlement costs from $470 million to $940 million in asbestos-related litigation against its American subsidiary Combustion Engineering.

Asbestos claims

Here I suggest a rewording in order to be more precise and clear.

Asbestos claims (before)

(...) these claims were linked to asbestos products sold by Combustion Engineering prior to its acquisition by ABB"

Asbestos claims (proposal)

The provisions were to cover claims linked to asbestos products sold by Combustion Engineering prior to its acquisition by ABB

Goran Lindahl and Percy Barnevik

I suggest removing the unnecessary "to".

Goran Lindahl and Percy Barnevik (before)

At the same time, ABB's board announced it would seek the return of money "paid in excess of obligations to Goran Lindahl and to Percy Barnevik," two former chief executive officers of the group.

Goran Lindahl and Percy Barnevik (proposal)

At the same time, ABB's board announced it would seek the return of money "paid in excess of obligations to Goran Lindahl and Percy Barnevik," two former chief executive officers of the group.

ABB Vetco Gray

I would remove the unnecessary beginning with "despite".

ABB Vetco Gray (before)

In 2004, ABB sold its upstream oil and gas business, ABB Vetco Gray, to a consortium of private equity investors for an initial sum of $925 million; despite the sale, ABB continued to play an active role in the oil and gas industry via its core automation and power technology businesses.

ABB Vetco Gray (proposal)

In 2004, ABB sold its upstream oil and gas business, ABB Vetco Gray, to a consortium of private equity investors for an initial sum of $925 million. ABB continued to play an active role in the oil and gas industry via its core automation and power technology businesses.

2005 delisting

Here, I would again change "during" to "in".

2005 delisting (before)

During 2005, ABB delisted its shares from the London Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

2005 delisting (proposal)

In 2005, ABB delisted its shares from the London Stock Exchange and Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

CB&I

Here, I would again remove "in exchange".

CB&I (before)

In August 2007, ABB Lummus Global, ABB's downstream oil and gas business, was sold to CB&I in exchange for $950 million.

CB&I (proposal)

In August 2007, ABB Lummus Global, ABB's downstream oil and gas business, was sold to CB&I for $950 million.

Kuhlman Electric Corporation

Here, I would again change "during" to "in".

Kuhlman Electric Corporation (before)

During 2008, ABB agreed to acquire Kuhlman Electric Corporation, a US-based maker of transformers for the industrial and electric utility sectors.

Kuhlman Electric Corporation (proposal)

In 2008, ABB agreed to acquire Kuhlman Electric Corporation, a US-based maker of transformers for the industrial and electric utility sectors.

ABB North Carolina

Here, I would again change "during" to "in".

ABB North Carolina (before)

During July 2010, ABB in Cary, North Carolina received a $4.2 million grant from the US federal government to develop energy storing magnets.

ABB North Carolina (proposal)

In July 2010, ABB in Cary, North Carolina received a $4.2 million grant from the US federal government to develop energy storing magnets.

--Clara.abb (talk) 12:35, 18 September 2025 (UTC)

Go ahead: I have reviewed these proposed changes and suggest that you go ahead and make the proposed changes to the page. The one under "Goran Lindahl and Percy Barnevik" has a separate issue that I will deal with shortly, so don't worry about that one. Chess enjoyer (talk) 21:34, 13 October 2025 (UTC)