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ABB is ‘first global robot-maker to manufacture in US’

21 May, 2015

ABB has opened a robotics manufacturing plant in the US which, it says, makes it the first global industrial robotics company to manufacture in North America. The plant – at an existing facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan which already employs around 500 people ­– is ABB’s third robotics production facility, and joins existing plants in China and Sweden. It will manufacture ABB robots and related equipment for the North American market. Production will start immediately.

“We are marking and celebrating the next stage of our commitment and growth in North America with the start of local robot manufacturing in Auburn Hills,” said ABB CEO, Ulrich Spiesshofer, at the opening ceremony.

“Robotics is a fundamental enabler of the next level of North American industrial growth in an increasingly competitive world,” he continued. “With our continued commitment and investment, our local team is well positioned to support our customers with robotics solutions made in the US. Our leading technology of Web-enabled, collaborative and safe robots will contribute to job security and quality of work.”

According to ABB Robotics’ managing director, Per Vegard Nerseth, the US investment is “consistent with our global strategy, which is to establish a local presence in key robotics growth markets to provide our leading technology to our customers. Thanks to the strong robotics market, I’m confident we will expand our workforce here to a total of 1,000 highly skilled employees in the not-too-distant future.”

ABB's new robot manufacturing plant in Michigan will serve the North American market

ABB has been building robots for more than 40 years and already has more than 250,000 installed around the world.

The US is ABB’s largest market, with sales worth $7.5bn. The company has invested more than $10bn in local r&d, capital expenditure and acquisitions since 2010, taking its total employment from 11,500 to 26,300.




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