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Swedish Hydraulics manufacturer Haldex has been lifting its profits in Rockford since 1987.
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Sweden Initiatives


Why Sweden?

The City of Rockford was founded by Swedish immigrants in the 19th century. Today the Rockford community is still known for its substantial Swedish heritage, with 13% of Rockford citizens claiming Swedish ancestry. In fact, Rockford has the third largest concentration of Swedish people per capita in the United States.

Rockford also has a history of successfuly Swedish-owned companies, like Haldex, as well as dozens of companies that are owned or managed by descendants of Swedish immigrants.

Sweden is an open market to both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and export. According to the US Department of Commerce, the United States is Sweden’s favorite FDI country because the American market is so “open”. US trade regulations are very favorable to foreign investment. They have a 5 to 1 trade surplus with the U.S. and want to import more from America.

Currently over 20% of all jobs in the Rockford MSA are in manufacturing. Many of these jobs require highly skilled professionals trained in the technical processes of modern manufacturing. In fact, Rockford ranks 4th among cities in Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin for the number of high tech jobs in manufacturing. The country of Sweden consistently ranks among the top three world-wide for innovation and technology. We are a good match for Swedish companies.

We think that our region’s historical and current connections with Sweden give us an ideal foundation on which to build a strong trade program. The Sweden Connection, in partnership with several trade partners, utilizes a blend of trade missions, matchmaking, in-market representation, trade show appearances and advertising tactics to communicate the significant resources of the Rockford region.

 

Lidköping´s International Business Developer Headquartered in Rockford
 
In 2006 Rockford and the City of Lidköping signed an Industrial Partnership Agreement, with the overall purpose to generate businesses and job growth for both cities. The partnership agreement was updated on March 31, 2011 by Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey of Rockford and Mayor Kjell Hedvall of Lidköping. The agreement´s vision and mission is to have an active international dialogue with companies and organizations, as well as to create and generate businesses and educational collaborations locally and globally through leadership, long-term thinking and partnerships.

 

Rockford welcomes Linnea Bengtsson from Rockford’s Industrial Partnership City of Lidköping, Sweden.

 


Linnea Bengtsson works as an International Business Developer for the City of Lidköping in Sweden. Bengtsson has an office on the 2nd floor of City Hall in Rockford where she is representing the City of Lidköping from January 2011 through December 2013.  She is creating a platform that offers companies and organizations from Sweden, primarily in Lidköping and West Sweden, contacts in the United States, primarily in the Rockford Region. Bengtsson is instrumental in fostering and maintaining international collaborations with a focus on education, economic & community development and sustainability.


Bengtsson served as an International Business Development Trainee at the Rockford Area Economic Development Council from April through December 2008. One of her successful projects has involved building Swedish-influenced homes in Rockford. With the aid of the SwedishAmerican Medical Foundation, construction students from Lidköping’s De la Gardie School are working with students from Rockford’s East High School on this international project.

To read more about our Industrial Partnership City please visit: www.lidkoping.se.  Follow Linnea Bengtsson´s blog at: www.lidkoping.se/linneasblogg.  You also can contact her at linnea.bengtsson@lidkoping.se or at  815.985.3895.

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