ABB announces $28.5M expansion in Henrico, adding 100 jobs

ABB, a Switzerland-based electrical engineering corporation, will invest $28.5 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Henrico County, creating more than 100 jobs in the next three years, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Tuesday.

ABB, which has its U.S. headquarters based in North Carolina, established its Henrico County facility at 5900 Eastport Blvd. in 1968. The plant employs 184 people and manufactures approximately 2,500 power production products per year, including power distribution units and static transfer switches, which support data centers, hospitals and manufacturing plants.

Products manufactured at the facility are designed to protect infrastructure such as servers, MRI machines and production lines from electrical failures.

“ABB’s decision to invest again in Henrico County doubles down on nearly 60 years of success here in Virginia,” Youngkin said in a statement. “Virginia’s workforce continues to prove they can rise to the challenge and deliver world-class results. Together, we’re powering the future and meeting America’s energy needs with the groundbreaking work ABB is leading right here in Henrico County.”

An ABB spokesperson said construction is ongoing and the new facility is expected to be operational by the end of the year.

“ABB is continually investing in our workforce and advanced manufacturing footprint in the U.S. — our largest global market — to support our customers as they focus on improving energy efficiency and uptime while reducing their energy costs,” said ABB Senior Vice President of Industry Partnerships Franklin Sullivan in a statement. “The expanded facility in Richmond will increase ABB’s production capacity to meet significant market demand for advanced electrification solutions and enable us to continue to optimize customer service in this growing market.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership collaborated with the county to secure the project, and Youngkin approved a $300,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to support the county’s efforts.

VEDP will support ABB’s job creation through the state-funded Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating jobs to support employee recruitment and training activities.

Headquartered in Switzerland, ABB employs 110,000 people and operates over 170 manufacturing facilities worldwide. In the United States, it employs about 17,000 people and has nearly 40 manufacturing, distribution and operational facilities spread across 20 states, including nine major research and development centers.