ABB completes divestment of two Electrification joint ventures in Shanghai

ABB has completed the divestment of all its shares in two Shanghai-based Electrification joint ventures, Shanghai ABB Breakers Co., Ltd. and Shanghai ABB Guangdian Electric Co., Ltd. to holding subsidiaries of Shanghai Guangdian Electric Group (SGEG), ABB’s joint venture partner in the two companies. Financial details have not been disclosed.

Tarak Mehta, President of ABB’s Electrification business, said: “The completion of this divestment reduces the complexity of the Electrification business in China and improves our focus in this key market. It is a significant step forward in ABB’s ongoing strategy of active portfolio management.”

ABB acquired a 60 percent stake in the two joint ventures as part of the GE Industrial Solutions acquisition in 2018. With the sale now complete, SGEG now owns the two Shanghai companies. ABB and SGEG will continue to operate as long-term partners via a multi-year mutual supply agreement.

ABB’s relationship with China dates back to 1907. After decades of development, ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services. The company operates 44 local companies with nearly 20,000 employees located in more than 130 cities. China is ABB’s second-largest market worldwide with more than 90 percent of sales from locally made products, solutions and services. ABB has invested more than US$2.4 billion in China since 1992.

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-​​focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com