ABB Adds $110M to Grid, Data Center Investment Push

The leaders of ABB are pledging another $110 million to grow the global company’s capacity in electrification products used by utilities and data centers.

The company’s push will add capacity at plants in Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia and Puerto Rico and create nearly 200 jobs, officials said. These investments will build on the $120 million worth of projects executives announced in March.

One of the ABB plants that was slated for expansion capital six months ago is in Senatobia, Mississippi. That facility also is on the growth list this time around: In addition to the $40 million earlier this year, it will receive $15 million to create a production line for circuit breakers that ABB officials say improve the energy security and resilience of power systems in large facilities.

In addition to the Senatobia investment, ABB also announced the following projects:

• A $30 million doubling of the company’s Richmond, Virginia, plant that will add a new test center, a warehouse and new assembly lines. The project is expected to be completed by year’s end and will add about 100 production and engineering roles.
• In Arecibo, Puerto Rico, ABB will invest more than $30 million to add three production lines for smart circuit breakers and switching devices. That expansion will create 90 jobs by the end of next year.
• ABB’s plant in Pinetops, North Carolina, is in line to receive $35 million to build more advanced low- and medium-voltage grid components. That expansion is also expected to open next year.

This latest round of capex from ABB adds to a long list of expansion projects from the biggest companies in equipment manufacturing this year as they seek to meet demand from data centers narrowly and the shift toward electrification more broadly. Most recently, Hitachi Energy said it would invest more than $450 million in Virginia and $100 million in Tennessee, among other places, and GE Vernova announced growth plans in western Pennsylvania. Other notable names that have announced expansions include Eaton and ERMCO.

ABB employs about 110,000 people around the world, roughly 17,000 of whom work in the United States. The company runs 40 factories, warehouses and other facilities in 20 states and last year rang up nearly $9 billion in U.S. sales. That accounted for about 27% of the company’s total.