ABB's Disaster Relief Effort Takes Several Tracks

    NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ABB, the leading power
 and automation technology group, has implemented several initiatives in
 providing relief for the devastated areas along the Gulf coast.
     "ABB is in a unique position to help utilities bring electricity to the
 stricken communities and to help raise funds from its global employee base,"
 said Dinesh Paliwal, Chairman and CEO of ABB in North America and head of the
 Automation Technologies Division worldwide. "When we learned of the disaster
 left behind by Hurricane Katrina, we put out a call to all employees worldwide
 to contribute to the company's relief effort." Paliwal noted that ABB employs
 about 103,000 in 100 countries.
     He noted that the ABB Foundation, created as a result of the 2004
 hurricane season, was created, in part, to raise funds from employees for
 communities impacted by natural disasters. The company recently made a
 contribution to the Save the Children Fund in the wake of the 2004 Tsunami.
     Paliwal went on to say that all ABB power equipment manufacturing
 facilities are "working around the clock, seven days a week" to supply the
 utilities impacted by the storm with transformers and other electrical
 equipment needed to restore electricity to New Orleans and the other
 communities that lost power as a result of the storm.
     ABB has electrical equipment manufacturing facilities in Missouri, North
 Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia and
 Pennsylvania. "ABB has also put on notice its facilities in Europe and
 elsewhere to join in the supply of electrical equipment," said Paliwal.
     ABB also is working with other customers to reschedule deliveries of their
 equipment to provide space for the manufacturing of equipment earmarked for
 the Gulf coast and is working with suppliers to keep materials needed flowing
 into its factories.
     ABB employs about 100 people in the Gulf coast region and has some 220
 retirees living there. "We are in the process of contacting these employees to
 see if there is anything we can do for them and are tracking pension checks to
 be sure retirees get all the pension payments to which they are entitled,"
 said Paliwal.
     The company recently announced a hotline for those customers dealing with
 the storm's aftermath. ABB Help Desk employees are available from 8:00 a.m. to
 6:00 p.m. The special toll-free number will help ABB bring its complete
 product and service offering to each customer's unique emergency needs. The
 number is 1-877-511-4222.
     ABB (http://www.abb.com ) is a leader in power and automation technologies
 that enable utility and industry customers to improve performance while
 lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around
 100 countries and employees 103,000 people. The company's North American
 operations, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, employs around 12,000 in
 manufacturing and other facilities.
 
 

SOURCE  ABB