Swedish News

Swedish hot line for missing kids. SKF profits hint at world recovery. Vacationers get photo op with wild Swedish bears. Improved crystal on the web. Present favorite online on design, interior decoration and accessories... 

  • A group of Dutch vacationers got photo op with wild Swedish bears in Jämtland, Sweden.

  • Swedish hot line for missing kids
    Trans-european legislation launches 116 000 number for parents, relatives of stray children. In Sweden and soon throughout Europe, a new emergency number is being installed to which parents of young children can call in the event that their children are missing or lost: 116 000.
    Now in effect, a new EU directive orders all member states to have 116 000 reserved for parents or others close to any missing children. In Sweden, the Post and Telecom Agency will take responsibility for launching the around the clock on-call number.
    The concept calls for a currently unnamed agency or organization to assume responsibility for the emergency service. Besides forwarding telephone calls to police and other appropriate authorities, the help line personnel will provide advice and assistance to the concerned relatives.

  • In Sweden and soon throughout Europe, a new emergency number is being installed to which parents of young children can call in the event that their children are missing.

  • SKF profits hint at world recovery
    Sweden's ball bearing maker, world's largest and part of the first big Swedish export successes, shows steep hike in orders - indicating more manufacturing down the line.
    Gothenburg based SKF, the world's largest bearings maker, made a profit of $193 million (SEK 1.45 billion) in this year's second quarter net profit, up over four times that from the same period last year, and company spokesmen said that demand is expected to increase during the coming quarter.
    "Our sales developed positively in the quarter driven primarily by a continued strong automotive business and an improvement in the industrial business," said CEO Tom Johnstone. Net sales increased almost 11% to while SKF's operating margins swelled from 3.4% to 14.3%.
    SKF's production barometer is regarded as an indicator of activity in manufacturing and machine tooling because it is an important supplier to many parts of the industrial processing. The Swedish bearings maker expects growing demand in Asia and Latin America as world economy recovers.
    “All regions and divisions will see good growth even if we expect lower sales to the car industry in Europe," added Johnstone.

  • An online favorite, with such grand names as designer Josef Frank under its wings; Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm.

  • Photo op with wild Swedish bears
    Perhaps like citizens in the cities, the woods animals are also losing their tolerance with people urinating in public, at least that was the result when a huge Swedish bear came upon an 11 year old high up in the mountains near the Norwegian border line in the Rötvikens area of Jämtland county. Having risen at five in the morning, like most male upon awakening, the youngster was relieving his bladder - and in the middle of what the bears no doubt considered their living quarters.
    At least the bear herself was not peeing in her own woods at that time nor a while later, when the camping tourist group from Holland and Belgium was having breakfast, when the wild and furry animal returned with her whole family of cubs, said the local newspaper, Länstidningen Östersund and the newswire, TT.
    Not trusting the bears' calm and curious behavior, the humans retreated to the safety of their automobiles and armed themselves with cameras. For more than an hour, the humans took fairly close photos from inside their vehicles while the bear family posed for the cameras, investigated the camp and then went peacefully back into their forest kingdom.

  • Indicating more manufacturing down the line and a possible world recovery, SKF, Sweden's ball bearing maker, shows steep hike in orders.

  • Improved crystal on the web
    Iconic crystal art glassmaker refreshens, expands Internet presentation. The iconic Swedish crystal glass producer, Kosta Boda, launched a new website this summer that features refreshed product photography along with ideas and directions for Kosta Boda visits at their plant in the Kingdom of Crystal in Småland.
    On the web site, in order to facilitate locating Kosta Boda's assortment of glass and art glass objects, visitors can review products by category, designer or color. With the Internet site facelift, Kosta Boda products are now also seen on Facebook and Twitter.
    "We are providing a modern and user friendly tool that enables consumers around the world to find information about our world famous brand and what it stands for in a quick, easy and attractive way," says marketing manager Lars Westman.
    Info, see www.kostaboda.com

  • The iconic Swedish crystal glass producer, Kosta Boda, launched a new website this summer.

  • Present favorite online on design, interior decoration and accessories...
    Since their relaunch this summer, our absolute favorite online shopping experience is and remains Svenskt Tenn / www.svenskttenn.com - the store and institution that, among other things, upholds and continues to create the designs and solutions originally created by Josef Frank, the humane modernist whose patterns feel as appropriate today as they must have fifty years ago.