On May 4, Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders visited ABB’s motor manufacturing facility in Fort Smith, marking her first visit to the global headquarters of ABB’s NEMA Motors Division and highlighting the company’s ongoing investment in workforce development and community growth across the Arkansas River Valley.
The visit followed the governor’s participation in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for new Advanced Manufacturing and Workforce Development Centers at University of Arkansas Fort Smith, supported in part by ABB’s $1 million contribution. That investment is part of ABB’s broader commitment to strengthening talent pipelines and preparing workers for careers in modern manufacturing.
“The River Valley has a clear and urgent need for continued investment in workforce development, and ABB is proud to be part of the solution,” said Jesse Henson, President of ABB’s NEMA Motors Division. “We are deeply committed to building opportunities for people in this community. We believe investing in people is the most powerful way to strengthen both our industry and the region we call home.”
During her visit, Gov. Sanders toured the ABB manufacturing facility and met with employees, gaining insight into ABB’s operations in Fort Smith, its largest U.S. manufacturing location, employing approximately 2,500 people. The visit builds on her previous engagement with ABB leadership at the company’s global headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
ABB’s long-term investment in Arkansas includes hands-on workforce initiatives such as its apprenticeship program, which has trained 35 apprentices since 2019. The company also supports regional education through its role as an underwriter of the PEAK Innovation Center, student plant tours reaching more than 1,200 individuals, and partnerships with local organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs, to promote STEAM education.
The new UAFS centers are designed to meet growing demand for skills in robotics, automation, data analytics and industrial systems, further aligning with ABB’s commitment to advancing technology while supporting the communities it serves.
Governor Sanders praised ABB’s contributions during her visit, noting the company’s impact on workforce development and the broader Arkansas economy.
To learn more about career opportunities and join ABB’s growing team, visit abb.com.
ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing, and circular solutions for customers, industries, and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world’s industries outrun – leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 22,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day. new.abb.com/motion
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and around 110,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com
