ABB to invest $30.5M to expand Arecibo operations, add 90 jobs
Global technology firm ABB will invest $30.5 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Arecibo, Puerto Rico — a move expected to create 90 specialized jobs and bring its local workforce to more than 400 by the end of 2026.
Gov. Jenniffer González announced the expansion during a news conference, calling it a result of her administration’s reshoring strategy to attract high-value manufacturing operations to the island.
“It is with great satisfaction that we announce ABB has decided to expand its manufacturing presence in Arecibo with a multimillion-dollar investment that will create 90 specialized jobs,” she said. “With this significant expansion, we underscore that the reshoring efforts we’ve undertaken in recent months are producing tangible results.”
The investment will cover new machinery, equipment and infrastructure upgrades, according to Secretary Sebastián Negrón-Reichard of Puerto Rico’s Department of Economic Development and Commerce. About $12 million of the total will come from Puerto Rico’s Economic Incentives Fund to support job creation and capital improvements.
“From day one, upon understanding President Trump’s public policy favoring the return of industries to U.S. territories, and in anticipation of potential tariff changes, we mobilized to turn challenges into opportunities,” Negrón-Reichard said.
“Through the reshoring committee created by the governor, we’ve actively promoted Puerto Rico internationally as the ideal destination for advanced manufacturing industries. We applaud and thank ABB for this decision,” he added.
Based in Zurich, Switzerland, ABB operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 110,000 people. The company specializes in electrification, automation, robotics and motion technologies.
ABB’s Puerto Rico operations manufacture and assemble electrical and automation products for industrial and energy systems. The company entered the local market in 2018 through its acquisition of GE Industrial of Puerto Rico, and later expanded production in Arecibo and Vega Alta to meet rising demand for electrification solutions in sectors including data centers, utilities and commercial manufacturing.
“The growth of ABB’s Arecibo plant continues our local-for-local strategy to meet rising customer demand for advanced electrification technologies,” said Luis Galiano, manager of ABB’s plants in Arecibo and Vega Alta.
