ASEA

ASEA was founded in 1883 by Ludvig Fredholm in Västerås as a manufacturer of electrical light and generators. 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.

ASEA constructed and built all sorts of electrical appliances, equipment and machines during its time as an active company. E.g. flatirons, telephones, lights, ovens, workshop lathes and drill presses, contactors, electrical motors and motor circuit breakers, elevators, electrical locomotives, overhead cranes, power grid substations, transformers and hydroelectric generators. Many of the electrical locomotives, overhead cranes, power grid stations, transformers and hydroelectric generators built in the 1970s and 1980s are still in operation to this day (2026). Two examples that can be seen on a daily basis are the electric locomotives Rc 4 (of the freight train operator Green Cargo) and Rc 6 (of the passenger train operator SJ AB) that is running on the Swedish rail network.

In 1987, it announced a merger with the Swiss company Brown, Boveri & Cie (BBC) to form ABB. The merge took effect on 1 January 1988. 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 constructs 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 boiling water reactor nuclear power plants in Sweden

CEOs

1883–1891 – Ludvig Fredholm

1891–1903 – Göran Wenström

1903–1933 – Sigfrid Edström

1934–1942 – Arthur Lindén