ABB appoints Joe Campbell to head its Robot Products Group in North America

Sept. 22, 2010 - PRLog -- AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (September 20, 2010) – ABB announced the appointment of Joe Campbell as vice president of its US Robot Products Group, according to Michael Mahfet, vice president and general manager of ABB’s overall North American robotics business. Campbell, who joined ABB Robotics in September of 2008 as the vice president of sales & marketing, will lead the sales, market development, technical support and production delivery of ABB robots in the US.  The overall ABB robotics operation in North America consists of the Robot Products, Robot Systems and Customer Service groups.  Campbell will report directly to Mahfet.

Campbell is a 28 year veteran of the robotics industry having held prominent positions with key robot manufacturers and system integrators, as well as with robotics related consulting organizations in the engineering, strategic development and marketing areas.  In his new role Campbell will continue to develop existing and emerging markets for ABB robots, while also working to efficiently and profitably deliver production and technical support to systems integrators and end users alike.

“I am excited to take on this expanded role with ABB Robotics and I truly believe that we are entering an extended period that will be very strong for our business,” said Campbell.  “We have a great foundation in both Automotive and General Industry markets, and the latest investments in new products and applications will bring real value to our manufacturing customers.”

Mahfet commented, “Joe’s experience in all aspects of the robot industry translates into deep domain expertise that will be critical as we continue to expand our business.  Joe is an excellent fit for this demanding leadership role, and a strong part of our executive team.”

The rebound in the industrial robotic business in North American is accelerating, as new orders jumped 40% in unit volume and 48% in dollar sales in the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009, according to the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group.  In the first quarter of 2010 new orders jumped 16% in unit volume and 30% in dollar sales in the compared to the same quarter in 2009.

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About ABB
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

About ABB Robotics
ABB Robotics (www.abb.com/robotics) is a leading supplier of industrial robots - also providing robot software, peripheral equipment, modular manufacturing cells and service for tasks such as welding, handling, assembly, painting and finishing, picking, packing, palletizing and machine tending. Key markets include automotive, plastics, metal fabrication, foundry, electronics, pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. A strong customer focus helps manufacturers improve productivity, product quality and worker safety. ABB has installed more than 175,000 robots worldwide.