ABB to acquire Thomas & Betts

ABB, with North American headquarters in Cary, N.C., has announced plans to acquire Thomas & Betts, Memphis, a manufacturer of low-voltage and ultralow-voltage electrical products such as connectors, conduits, and fittings, as well as wiring management products for the construction, industrial, and utilities markets.

The combination of Thomas & Betts' electrical components and ABB's low-voltage protection, control, and measurement products will create an expanded low-voltage portfolio to be distributed through Thomas & Betts' network of more than 6,000 distributor locations and wholesalers in North America and through ABB's distribution channels in Europe and Asia.

Thomas & Betts, which employs about 9,400 people, also supplies towers for electrical power transmission and has a business that produces HVAC units — both new to ABB but related to its core power and automation focus. The company will be integrated into ABB's Low Voltage Products division as a stand-alone unit.