The "Wise Tower

In the building with the clock tower, ABB has its Swedish headquarters, known as the Ottarkontoret.

Previously, the company Allmänna Svenska Elektriska AB (ASEA) had its office there. ASEA operated from 1883 to 1987 and focused on systems and products for the generation, transmission, and use of electricity, and it played a crucial role in how the Swedish electrical engineering industry developed. In 1988, ASEA merged with Brown Boveri to become ABB Asea Brown Boveri, which later changed its name to ABB.

The foundations for ASEA's magnificent headquarters began to be dug during the First World War. The first foundation stone was laid in 1917, and two years later, the house was finished. ASEA built in the Ottar block, where a livestock market had previously been located. The location was central, adjacent to the railway and the industrial center that existed in Västerås at the time. ASEA was a flourishing, wealthy company and could use the most expensive materials, including covering the tower's dome with copper plates. Copper was a scarce commodity at that time. For example, when Stockholm City Hall was built, the architect had to turn to the city's inhabitants, and over 3,000 donors donated their own copper plate.

When people within the company spoke about what was happening "in the wise tower", it did not refer to the Ottar clock tower at all, but rather the smaller tower at the end of the southern wing. Directors and the CEO sat there, and "decisions in the tower" therefore became synonymous with CEO decisions.

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