ASEA explained

Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget
Native Name Lang:	Swedish
Type:	Publicly traded aktiebolag
Industry:	Electrical engineering
Defunct:	(merged with Brown Boveri to form ABB)
Successor:	ABB
Hq Location City:	Västerås, Västmanland
Hq Location Country:	Sweden

Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (English translation: General Swedish Electrical Limited Company; Swedish abbreviation: ASEA) was a Swedish industrial company.

History

ASEA was founded in 1883^[1] by Ludvig Fredholm in Västerås as a manufacturer of electrical light and generators.^[2] After merging with Wenström's & Granström's Electrical Power Company (Wenströms & Granströms Elektriska Kraftbolag) the name was changed to Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget, literally the "General Swedish Electrical Limited Company", or ASEA for short.

In 1987, it announced a merger with the Swiss company Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) to form ABB.^[3] The merge took effect on 1 January 1988.^[4] After this merger, ABB acquired several companies, including the power transmission and distribution operations of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the Combustion Engineering Group.

• 1889 – the partner Jonas Wenström creates 3-phased generators, motors and transformers.
• 1933 – The company removes the swastika from its logo, due to the symbol's association with Nazi Germany.
• 1953 – ASEA creates the first industrial diamonds.
• 1954 – HVDC Gotland project, first static high-voltage DC system
• 1960s – ASEA builds nine of 12 nuclear plants in Sweden.
• 1968 – ASEA's elevator business gets acquired by Kone
• 1974 – Industrial robots are introduced by ASEA
• 1987 – Acquires Finnish Oy Strömberg Ab
• 1988 – Merges with Brown, Boveri & Cie, Asea Cylinda laundry appliances branch bought by Finnish furniture maker Asko, renamed Asko ASEA.

Business management

CEOs

• 1883–1891 – Ludvig Fredholm
• 1891–1903 – Göran Wenström
• 1903–1933 – Sigfrid Edström
• 1934–1942 – Arthur Lindén
• 1942–1949 – Thorsten Ericson
• 1949–1961 – Åke Vrethem
• 1961–1976 – Curt Nicolin
• 1976–1980 – Torsten L. Lindström
• 1980–1988 – Percy Barnevik

Chairman of the Board

• 1891–1891 – Ludvig Fredholm
• 1892–1909 – Oscar Fredrik Wijkman
• 1910–1914 – Oscar Wallenberg
• 1914–1933 – Sten Ankarcrona
• 1934–1949 – Sigfrid Edström
• 1949–1956 – Thorsten Ericson
• 1956–1976 – Marcus Wallenberg
• 1976–1991 – Curt Nicolin

See also

• ASEA IRB – robot
• Asko
• Hitachi Energy
• Sigfrid Edström
• Uno Lamm

Further reading

• Jan Glete, Asea under hundra år: 1883–1983: en studie i ett storföretags organisatoriska, tekniska och ekonomiska utveckling. (Västerås, 1987). .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Crainer. Stuart. "A.B.B., the Dancing Giant" by Kevin Barham and Claudia Heimer. 2020-10-09. strategy+business. en.
2. Web site: 4 October 2018. Tämä ei enää olisi mahdollista: ASEA myi sähkötarvikkeita hakaristin voimalla. This would no longer be possible: ASEA sold electrical supplies under the power of a swastika. 2020-10-09. Kauppalehti. fi.
3. Web site: BBC-Brown, Boveri and Asea Announce Merger. 2020-10-09. Associated Press.
4. ASEA-BBC merger Modern Railways issue 472 January 1988 page 34