Sweden Travel Blog

Spectrum Group Ltd., the Valhalla residential developer, has been acquired by the American unit of a Swedish construction and real estate powerhouse seeking to build more houses in the Northeast.

Skanska (U.S.A.) Inc. of Greenwich, Conn., completed its acquisition of Spectrum last month, and was expected to announce it on Oct. 10. The deal allows Mitchell C. Hochberg to continue as president and chief executive officer of Spectrum with day-to-day control. It also gives Hochberg what he would only call “a significant” stake in Spectrum, which will become a subsidiary of Skanska. [...]

H&M, the Swedish clothing chain that spent the past year expanding into the region, plans to open its first Westchester store this spring at The Galleria at White Plains.

H&M will open a 23,000-square-foot store the mall is creating by assembling several smaller spaces, including the space vacated in December by Lechters Inc.

By signing H&M, The Galleria expects to enhance its position as a mall for middle-income shoppers. Despite more competition in recent years -such as from The Westchester mall, a quartermile southeast — The Galleria has continued to attract mid-market clothing chains ranging from Old Navy to Forever 21. [...]

The first official state visit to South Mississippi by the Swedish government since Hurricane Katrina will be Monday in Pass Christian, said the president of the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce South Central region.

Parliament Member Carina Adolffson Eglestam will first tour New Orleans and then the Pass in order to put together an official report of the devastation to the Swedish government for potential aid purposes. Eglestam will be seeking out investment and business opportunities at the same time, said Steve Vassallo, SACC-SC president. [...]

The Swedish women’s hockey team doesn’t have to watch “Miracle” – the story of the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team in 1980 – to see what a major Olympic upset on ice looks like.

Instead, the Swedes can just watch the game tape of their own 3-2 shootout win over Team USA after a 10-minute overtime period last night – their first win against the U.S. in 26 games. [...]

According to U.N. statistics in 1995, Sweden was one of the top three European locations of worldwide corporate investment, surpassed only by the United Kingdom and France. The number of U.S. companies in Sweden increased from 350 to 560 between 1990 and 1996, and there are now more than 47,000 employees in American-owned companies located in Sweden. [...]