Sweden Opens Consulate in Raleigh

Raleigh, NC, June 2--Sweden's new Raleigh, North Carolina based consulate will offer traditional consular services as well as promote economic cooperation, trade and investments and cultural exchange programs between the Carolinas and Sweden. Hosted by the law firm of Farrel and La Mantia on Falls of Neuse Road, the consulate will work with some 60 Swedish related companies, including Volvo Truck NA, SAAB Barracuda, Sony Ericsson Mobile Inc., Pergo Inc., Sandvik Coromant and Husqvarna Turf Care Co, according to the Raleigh, Business Journal. Anna Blomdahl, a resident of the area for the past seven years, has been appointed as Sweden's first honorary consul in Raleigh. The official inauguration will take place in September. Blomdahl has experience with the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and has, among other positions, been director of the Radio Sweden Concert Hall in Stockholm, Sweden. Together with her husband Lennart, she runs Raleigh-based consulting firm ALB Consulting, which is aimed at helping Swedish companies enter the American market.