ABB to Expand Low Voltage Production Alongside Thomas & Betts in Memphis

Power and automation technology group ABB, Zurich, Switzerland, said it will invest $30 million in building a new manufacturing site and expanding its customer experience center for its Low Voltage Products division in the Memphis, Tenn., area.

The investment will initially create more than 200 jobs, with a further 100 jobs expected to be added over the next five years. The manufacturing, R&D and training investment will support the Low Voltage Products business to expand its ABB products offering alongside the Thomas & Betts portfolio to offer a broad range of electrical connection, protection and distribution solutions and technical support offerings, ABB said in a release.

“We have successfully integrated two organizations now; building on the distribution and marketing strengths of Thomas & Betts and the technology heritage of ABB,” said Brian Herington, Americas region division head for ABB Low Voltage Products. “We grew our electrical business by more than 8 percent in 2014, in the United States.”

The new facility will have more than 120,000 square feet of space to produce products from across the ABB low voltage product portfolio. Lines include an integrated breaker and power manager, Emax2, alongside other breakers, switches, power distribution systems, modular enclosure and DIN rail products and control products.

ABB also said it will invest in a new customer experience center at its existing Memphis location, which is now the Americas headquarters for the division.

ABB's total workforce in the Americas has tripled over the last five years to about 20,000 as the company has expanded across the region, including its $3.9 billion purchase of Memphis-based, electrical components maker Thomas & Betts in 2012.