Top government honor recognizes commitment to China's economic development
Beijing, October 27, 2009 –ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, announced Poh Cheng Gay, head of the Low Voltage Products & Systems Business Unit of the ABB Automation Products Division in China, and General Manager of ABB Xiamen Low Voltage Equipment, was presented the 2009 China Friendship Award and has been cordially received by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
At the invitation of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, Poh and the 1998 Friendship Award winner, John Yung, General Manager of ABB Xiamen Switchgear, attended the celebration and military parades at Tian’an men square for the country’s 60th anniversary on Oct. 1st. The awards recognize ABB’s commitment to China’s economic and social development and its outstanding construction to promote the development of the industrial sector.
The Friendship Award is the highest national award for foreign experts working in China. Since its inception in 1991, the annual selection process is organized by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs to select 100 winners nationwide with the final results submitted to the provincial governments and State Council for approval. This year’s winners come from 28 countries with backgrounds covering a variety of fields, including industry, agriculture, manufacturing, scientific research, education, sports, environmental protection and health.
“I am truly honored to receive this award,” said Poh. “It reflects the Chinese government’s acknowledgement of ABB’s localization strategy and our efforts to support economic development. Attending the military parade and 60th anniversary celebration afforded me the opportunity to experience the great transformation that has taken place over the past 60 years and sense the enormous potential of the nation for further development. I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life.”
"I feel privileged to have represented ABB at the anniversary celebration,” Yung added. “This award recognizes the hard work and commitment of all our staff in China. I urge every ABB employee to positively contribute to the country’s prosperity and sustainable development in the future.”
Both Poh and Yung are senior executives at ABB China and have been working in the country for over 10 years. Poh has been with ABB Xiamen Low Voltage Equipment since its establishment in 1994. He is dedicated to technology transfer and local innovation and has successfully guided the company as it has become ABB’s biggest manufacturing and research centre for low voltage equipment worldwide. He has helped develop the local switchgear industry by setting up a low voltage procurement centre in Xiamen, contributing to the local industry and the regional economy.
Yung joined ABB Xiamen Switchgear in 1993. He was awarded the 1998 China Friendship Award for his outstanding achievements in leading the company and promoting the growth of local industry and Xiamen’s economic development.
Thanks to their efforts, ABB’s local companies in Xiamen have achieved rapid growth. They have become the group's largest provider of low medium voltage switchgears and air circuit breakers and the largest producer of medium voltage switchgear and vacuum circuit breaker respectively. Both of the two companies have ranked among China’s Top 100 Electric Companies for many consecutive years. Both Poh and Yung have been granted honorary citizenship by the Xiamen Government as further acknowledgement of their strong contributions to Xiamen’s economic and social development.
In recent years, ABB’s expatriate executives have actively contributed to localization and social welfare, earning wide acknowledgement from local governments, customers, industry organizations and other sectors. Since 2005, Peter Leupp, Head of ABB’s Power System Division of ABB Group and former Chairman and President of ABB China, Chai Ko-Hein, General Manager of ABB Shanghai Motors, and Richard Suurland, President of ABB Electrical Machines, have all received the Shanghai Magnolia Award, a top honor from the Shanghai municipal government.
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 120,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 15,000 employees, 27 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities.