Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget

ASEA HQ in Västerås
Company type	Publicly traded aktiebolag
Industry	Electrical engineering
Founded	1883 (1883)
Defunct	31 December 1987 (1987-12-31) (merged with Brown Boveri to form ABB)
Successor	ABB
Headquarters	Västerås, Västmanland , 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.^[2]

In 1987, it announced a merger with the Swiss company Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) to form ABB.^[1][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.^[1]

• 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.^[2]
• 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