University of Arkansas at Fort Smith receives $1M to aid workforce development

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK)
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK)

ABB is giving $1 million to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith to support workforce development aimed at advanced manufacturing, engineering, automation, design process, and technology, the company said Tuesday.

In an interview, Jesse Henson, president of ABB's NEMA Motors Division, which is based in Fort Smith, said UA Fort Smith has been a key player in education of the company's workforce. He said the changing manufacturing environment -- with its focus on automation and robotics -- demands skilled technical workers.

ABB's NEMA Motors plant in Fort Smith employs 1,800. It has a plant in Ozark, and ABB employs 2,500 workers in Arkansas overall.

"Our goal is to create a talented, knowledgeable workforce that has the advanced skill sets required for the jobs of today, and more importantly, the jobs of tomorrow," Dr. Terisa Riley, chancellor, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, said in a statement. "Achieving our goals naturally sets the stage for western Arkansas to become the hub for economic development in our region."

ABB Ltd is a Zurich-based global leader in the industrial power and automation technology markets. Since 2010, it has invested $14 billion in the U.S. through acquisitions and plant expansions and recently said it would invest $170 million in its U.S. operations.

In 2011, Fort Smith based Baldor was acquired by ABB Ltd in a deal valued at $4.2 billion.


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