B&R Industrial Automation Company Profile: History, ABB Acquisition and Products
Updated: 7 days ago
B&R Industrial Automation is an Austrian maker of machine control systems and is ABB's global center for machine and factory automation. Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer founded it in 1979 in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria, and ABB announced its purchase in April 2017. This profile sets out its history, the acquisition and its products.
B&R at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | B&R Industrial Automation |
Founded | 1979 |
Founders | Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer |
Headquarters | Eggelsberg, Upper Austria |
Parent | ABB |
Acquisition announced | April 4, 2017 |
Size at the time of the deal | More than 3,000 employees and sales above USD 600 million |
Role | ABB's global center for machine and factory automation |
Company History
The company takes its name from the initials of its two founders, Bernecker and Rainer. For almost four decades it remained independent and grew steadily: when ABB announced the acquisition, B&R's revenue had more than quintupled since 2000, an average growth of 11% a year over two decades. ABB described it as the largest independent provider in its field.
The ABB Acquisition
ABB announced on April 4, 2017, that it would acquire B&R. The price was not disclosed; ABB said it was paid in cash and that the multiple was in line with comparable companies. Closing was expected in the summer of 2017.
B&R at the time of the deal
Item | Figure |
Sales, 2015/16 | More than USD 600 million |
Employees | More than 3,000 |
Engineers in development and applications | About 1,000 |
Customers | More than 4,000 machine manufacturers |
Research spending | More than 10% of sales |
What ABB planned
B&R became a new global business unit, Machine & Factory Automation, within ABB's Industrial Automation division, led by B&R's managing director Hans Wimmer.
Eggelsberg became ABB's global center for machine and factory automation.
ABB said it would move its own controller and servo drive activities into the unit in phases.
Development and production were to be expanded in Eggelsberg and nearby Gilgenberg.
ABB set a mid-term sales ambition of more than USD 1 billion for the unit.
The founders agreed to advise during the integration.
The reasoning was that ABB was strong in robots and in process automation but lacked a full offering for machine builders. B&R filled that gap, in a market that ABB put at USD 20 billion.
Products
Category | Role |
PLC systems and I/O systems | Machine control and signal connection |
Industrial PCs | Computing for machines |
HMI | Operator panels |
Motion control | Servo drives and motors |
Integrated safety technology | Safety functions inside the control system |
Vision systems | Cameras integrated in the control system |
Robotics | Robot control within the machine controller |
Mobile automation | Controls for mobile machinery |
Software | Engineering software and connectivity |
The link to ABB's robot business means that a machine builder can obtain the controls, drives and robots for a line from one group.
Can You Invest in B&R?
Not directly. Its parent, ABB, is a listed company. This is general information, not investment advice.
What Is Not Covered
Current employee numbers, current sales and the names of today's management are not stated in the sources used; the figures above date from 2017.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
A complete machine automation range from one platform.
A long record of growth as an independent company.
The backing of ABB and a link to its robots.
Challenges
Strong competitors in machine control.
Dependence on machine-building cycles.
The task of combining its products with ABB's existing controller and drive lines.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 6 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
B&R FAQ
Who owns B&R?
ABB, which announced the acquisition on April 4, 2017.
How much did ABB pay for B&R?
The price was not disclosed.
Where is B&R based?
In Eggelsberg, Upper Austria.
Who founded B&R?
Erwin Bernecker and Josef Rainer, in 1979.
What does B&R make?
Machine control systems: PLCs, industrial PCs, operator panels, motion control, safety and vision systems.
How big was B&R when ABB bought it?
More than 3,000 employees and sales above USD 600 million.
Sources
ABB: ABB to acquire B&R
Manufacturing Business Technology: ABB acquires USD 600 million B&R
B&R: about us
