ABB says $4.2 billion Baldor Electric offer ‘a success’

Swedish-Swiss engineering giant ABB said yesterday its $4.2 billion offer to buy US industrial electric motor group Baldor Electric had succeeded, and that it was expecting double-digit growth in its fourth quarter operating income.

The Zurich-based group said that following the Tuesday closing of the offer it had received 89.4 per cent of Baldor’s shares.

It would acquire the remaining shares at $63.50 per share and delist the company from Wall Street, it added.

US competition authorities green-lighted the takeover last week, and the management of both groups have approved the transaction.

Arkansas-based Baldor employs about 7,000 people and reported an operating profit of $184 million in the first nine months of 2010.

ABB plans to integrate Baldor into its motors and generators business, a move which it has said would bring about savings of $200 million annually by 2015.

ABB, said it expected double-digit growth in its fourth-quarter operating income as well as double-digit growth in orders in local currency terms.