Message from the President

Thank you for celebrating Swedish Midsummer in person with us on June 12! We had not been able to do this without collaborating with the Vasa Order of America. It was a very welcoming and festive event that carried on the Swedish tradition, including dance around the Midsummer pole and smorgasbord with gravlax and baked salmon.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you again throughout 2021 celebrating Swedish traditions. Our next major event is a Swedish Crayfish party and we hope that you are able to join us.

On a business note, between June 5-15, 2021. SACC members across the U.S. participated in a web survey which consisted of nine questions. The SACC USA Business Survey was conducted by members of a diverse mix of entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and professional experts, as well as representatives of various organizations and academia representing locations in 37 states. A few highlights from the survey are that inflation will rise above the annual forecast of 2.6 percent and the low interest rate will not exceed 0.25 percent in 2021. At the same time, most members of the Chamber of Commerce believe that Swedish companies in the U.S. sell on quality rather than price as the main argument. See the full survey by clicking here. 

I am happy to announce our very first trainee has just started to support SACC Carolinas.

Alma Lindkvist is 20 years old and comes from the small town of Lund in Sweden. She is studying at Lund University School of Economics and Management and she has a B.Sc. in International Business. Alma is currently working remotely from Sweden due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Her internship is limited to 10 weeks and we hope that during this time she will learn about SACC but also talk to many people and a chance to network with people close to her own age.

Many Americans are looking forward to travelling to Sweden again this summer. Following EU's recommendation to lift travel restrictions for Americans, Sweden is opening its borders beginning June 30. For more details please click here.

On June 29, Sweden lost to Ukraine in the European Championship, however, personally, I was very proud of the team and it was long time ago I saw them play that good. But soccer is like business, those that do not score end up losing. 

On a local level, we have established a proven process for intra-company mobility with Swedish residence permit for training as well as companies in the US to host a trainee from Sweden on a J-1 visa. We are encouraging Swedish and American companies to make use of this opportunity to attract and maintain talented young professionals.

I will also take this opportunity to wish all members a Happy Summer and I know that many Swedish families will visit Sweden this year due to the ability to travel to their home country. Personally, our son and his family from Sweden are visiting us here in Greensboro, NC and we are happy to be with the grandchildren in person after more than two years.

Have a Happy and Safe 4^th of July!

Best Regards,

Riber Gustafson

President of SACC Carolinas

About the 24th Annual Global CEO Survey

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, PwC surveyed 5,050 CEOs around the world about their plans to respond to new threats, transform their operating model and create a more sustainable future. The three topics that are top of mind for CEOs in 2021-2022 is Growth strategies, planned investments, and Building trust. It is about realigning to a post-pandemic world. It is encouraging to note that with 88% of US leaders anticipating an improvement in global economic growth over the next 12 months, half (52%) also expect to expand headcount over the next year to capitalize on emerging opportunities for business growth.                                                               

However, CEOs are anxious about cyber threats (71% “extremely concerned”), regulatory policy uncertainty (51%) and pandemics and other health crises (46%). Furthermore, in a sign of a greater focus on trust and transparency, CEOs in the US are planning to enhance disclosures. The US CEOs want to handle ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) disclosures differently in the year ahead. They also want to maintain the trust in business that was built during the pandemic as they look for ways to become more agile and resilient.

The full report is available on  https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/ceo-agenda/ceosurvey/2021.html

Upcoming Events

For many Swedish people, one of the major events of the year is a Swedish Crayfish party. It is an annual seafood feast with lots of side dishes, drinks and joyous songs that goes back to the 16th century. Join us for this exclusive members-only event coming up in September, co-hosted with the Carl Larsson Lodge. It is a wonderful, but somewhat messy affair - a party you’ll never forget!

Recent News

SACC-USA appoints new Executive Director

The Swedish American Chambers of Commerce of the United States (SACC-USA) has selected Karin Hammar as its next Executive Director. Karin will succeed Johan Marcus who after six years of leading the organization is moving back to Sweden from where he will continue to be involved in the SACC-USA flagship event Executive Forum and other strategic projects. 

Read the entire article on our website under news.

Member Involvement

Do you want to learn more about our organization? Expand your network and have input on SACC Carolinas development?

We encourage all our members to get involved in one of our committees:

• Event/Webinar
• Recruitment/Membership
• Special Projects

Click here and let us know your interest.

US Talent to Sweden

SACC-USA, in partnership with the Swedish Institute and the American Chamber of Commerce in Sweden (AmCham), offers Swedish companies the opportunity to hire technology and business talent from the United States for traineeships up to 18 months. Augment your workforce with skills and entrepreneurial spirit from the United States.

Interested in knowing more? Please Contact Us.

Get an Intern from Chalmers

If you have an engineering project or simply would like some high-caliber assistance, we have a solution for you. SACC-USA partners with one of Sweden’s most prestigious schools, Chalmers University of Technology, to provide access to highly competitive engineering students who are eager to come to the U.S. to gain practical and cultural experience.

The students have completed at least three years (B. Sc.) of a five-year master’s program (M. Sc.) and are looking for an internship from 3 to 12 months, starting in the summer or early fall 2021, in the areas of Applied Physics, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, Industrial Engineering & Business Management, Design Engineering, Software Engineering.

If interested, contact us.

Become a Member

We are a non-profit organization, and our mission is to promote and advance business relations between the Carolinas and Sweden.

If you are not yet a member and would like to become a part of our Chamber and its network, please click here to sign up.

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