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{{Short description|Swedish manufacturer}}
{{About|the Swedish company|the American company|ASEA (American company)|the South Korean award ceremony|Asia Star Entertainer Awards}}
{{ref improve|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox company
| name           = Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget
| logo           = Asealogo.svg
| logo_size      = 200px
| logo_alt       = 
| logo_caption   = 
| logo_padding   = 
| image          = Asea hq.jpg
| image_size     = 200px
| image_alt      = 
| image_caption  = ASEA HQ in [[Västerås]]
| native_name    = 
| native_name_lang = Swedish
| former_name    = 
| type           = [[public company|Publicly traded]] [[aktiebolag]]
| industry       = [[Electrical engineering]]
| founded        = {{Start date|1883|df=y}}
| defunct        = {{End date|1987|12|31|df=y}}
| fate           = Merged with [[Brown, Boveri & Cie|Brown Boveri]] to form ABB
| successor      = [[ABB]]
| hq_location    = 
| hq_location_city = [[Västerås]], [[Västmanland]]
| hq_location_country = [[Sweden]]
| area_served    = 
| key_people     = 
| products       = 
| brands         = 
| services       = 
| owner          = 
| website        = 
}}
'''''Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget''''' ([[English language|English]] translation: '''General Swedish Electrical Limited Company'''; [[Swedish language|Swedish]] abbreviation: '''ASEA''') was a [[Sweden|Swedish]] industrial company.

==History==
[[File:ASEA logo pre 1933.svg|thumb|100px|right|ASEA [[swastika]] logo used from the late nineteenth century until 1933]]
ASEA was founded in 1883<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Crainer|first=Stuart|title="A.B.B., the Dancing Giant" by Kevin Barham and Claudia Heimer|url=https://www.strategy-business.com/article/9904?gko=4d18f|access-date=2020-10-09|website=strategy+business|language=en}}</ref> by Ludvig Fredholm in [[Västerås]] as a manufacturer of electrical light and generators.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=4 October 2018|title=Tämä ei enää olisi mahdollista: ASEA myi sähkötarvikkeita hakaristin voimalla|trans-title=This would no longer be possible: ASEA sold electrical supplies under the power of a swastika|url=https://www.kauppalehti.fi/uutiset/tama-ei-enaa-olisi-mahdollista-asea-myi-sahkotarvikkeita-hakaristin-voimalla/99957f0d-c533-3b19-a65c-636fcae6bcd9|access-date=2020-10-09|website=Kauppalehti|language=fi}}</ref> 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.<ref name=":1" />

In 1987, it announced a merger with the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] company [[Brown, Boveri & Cie]] (BBC) to form [[ABB]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC-Brown, Boveri and Asea Announce Merger|url=https://apnews.com/article/9d699a81e7edcd99c39f324b1ce41a38|access-date=2020-10-09|website=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> The merge took effect on 1 January 1988.<ref>ASEA-BBC merger ''[[Modern Railways]]'' issue 472 January 1988 page 34</ref> After this merger, ABB acquired several companies, including the power transmission and distribution operations of the [[Westinghouse Electric Corporation]] and the Combustion Engineering Group.<ref name=":0" />

*1889 – the partner [[Jonas Wenström]] creates [[3-phase]]d generators, motors and transformers.
*1933 – The company removes the [[swastika]] from its logo, due to the symbol's association with [[Nazi Germany]].<ref name=":1" />
*1953 – ASEA creates the first [[Synthetic diamond|industrial diamonds]].
*1954 – [[HVDC Gotland]] project, first static high-voltage DC system
*1960s – ASEA builds nine of twelve nuclear power plants in Sweden
*1968 – ASEA's [[elevator]] business is acquired by [[Kone]]
*1974 – [[Industrial robot]]s are introduced by ASEA
*1987 – Acquires Finnish [[Stromberg (company)|Oy Strömberg Ab]]
*1988 – Merges with [[Brown, Boveri & Cie]], Asea Cylinda laundry appliances branch bought by Finnish furniture maker [[Asko Cylinda|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 Jr.|Marcus Wallenberg]]
*1976–1991 – [[Curt Nicolin]]

==See also==
* [[ASEA IRB]] – robot
* [[Asko Cylinda|Asko]]
* [[Hitachi Energy]]
* [[Sigfrid Edström]]
* [[Uno Lamm]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Jan Glete]], ''Asea under hundra år: 1883–1983: en studie i ett storföretags organisatoriska, tekniska och ekonomiska utveckling''. (Västerås, 1987). {{in lang|sv}}.

{{ABB Group}}
{{Authority control}}
{{ASEA Export Electric Locomotives}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allmanna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget}}
[[Category:Defunct companies of Sweden]]
[[Category:Locomotive manufacturers of Sweden]]
[[Category:ASEA| ]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1883]]
[[Category:1883 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 1987]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies of Sweden]]
[[Category:1987 disestablishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:1987 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Västerås]]
[[Category: Companies formerly listed on Nasdaq Stockholm]]
[[Category:19th-century establishments in Västmanland County]]

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