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60-835: Scandinavia House – The Nordic Center in America is the American-Scandinavian Foundation 's cultural center at 58 Park Avenue (between East 37th Street and East 38th Street), in Murray Hill, Manhattan , New York City . It is dedicated to preserving the history of the Scandinavian and Nordic countries in the United States through exhibits and programming. This cultural center hosts exhibitions of fine art, design as well as performing arts pieces from Nordic countries. The center also introduces

120-538: A Volvo ÖV 4 , rolled off the production line at the factory in Hisingen , Gothenburg. Only 280 cars were built that year. The first truck, the "Series 1", debuted in January 1928, as an immediate success and attracted attention outside the country. In 1930, Volvo sold 639 cars, and the export of trucks to Europe started soon after; the cars did not become well known outside Sweden until after World War II . AB Volvo

180-660: A 15.8%). In December 2013, Volvo sold its Volvo Construction Equipment Rents division to Platinum Equity . In November 2016, Volvo announced its intention of divesting its Government Sales division, made up mainly of Renault Trucks' Renault Trucks Defense but also of Panhard , ACMAT , Mack Defense in the United States, and Volvo Defense. The project for selling the division was later abandoned and, in May 2018, Volvo reorganized Renault Trucks Defense and renamed it Arquus. In December 2018, Volvo announced it intended to sell

240-703: A 1994 Volvo-Renault merger deal was announced. The deal was barely accepted in France, but it was opposed in Sweden, and the Volvo shareholders and company board voted against it. The alliance was officially dissolved in February 1994 and Volvo sold off its minority Renault stake in 1997. In the 1990s, Volvo also divested from most of its activities outside vehicles and engines. In 1991, the Volvo Group participated in

300-457: A 75.1% controlling stake of its car telematics subsidiary WirelessCar to Volkswagen with the aim of focusing on telematics for commercial vehicles. The sale was completed in March 2019. In December 2019, Volvo and Isuzu announced their intention of forming a strategic alliance on commercial vehicles. As part of the agreement, Volvo would sell UD Trucks to Isuzu. The "final agreements" for

360-525: A Nordic focus to their programming, as well as to smaller organizations with a more regional focus. In 2005–2006, 65 projects throughout the U.S. and Scandinavia received $ 250,000 in total funding. In 2006–2007, an additional $ 221,000 was awarded to 62 projects. The American-Scandinavian Foundation's quarterly journal, Scandinavian Review , is the oldest publication of its kind in the United States. It covers all aspects of life in contemporary Scandinavia with an emphasis on areas in which Scandinavian achievement

420-484: A Scandinavian author born after 1900. The American-Scandinavian Foundation's cultural center, Scandinavia House : The Nordic Center in America, is located at 58 Park Avenue, between 37th and 38th Streets in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Midtown Manhattan . The ASF presents a wide range of cultural programs at Scandinavia House, including art and design exhibitions, films, concerts, lectures, and children's programs representing all facets of Nordic culture. The building

480-456: A Swedish car. They intended to build cars that could withstand the rigours of the country's rough roads and cold temperatures. AB Volvo began activities on 10 August 1926. After one year of preparations involving the production of ten prototypes, the firm was ready to commence the car-manufacturing business within the SKF group. The Volvo Group itself considers it started in 1927, when the first car,

540-489: A joint venture between the two companies. In March 2021, the fuel cell business was reorganised as a joint venture called Cellcentric. In December 2021, Volvo, Daimler Truck, and Traton agreed to the formation of an equally owned joint venture aimed to build an electric vehicle charging network for heavy vehicles in Europe. In December 2022, the joint venture (called Commercial Vehicle Charging Europe) began operations under

600-744: A joint venture with Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors at the former DAF plant in Born , Netherlands. The operation, branded NedCar , began producing the first generation Mitsubishi Carisma alongside the Volvo S40/V40 in 1996. During the 1990s, Volvo also partnered with the American manufacturer General Motors . In 1999, the European Union blocked a merger with Scania AB . In January 1999, Volvo Group sold Volvo Car Corporation to Ford Motor Company for $ 6.45 billion. The division

660-665: A major shareholder. Volvo Group took complete ownership of Nissan Diesel in 2007 to extend its presence in the Asian Pacific market. Renault sold 14.9% of their stake in AB Volvo in October 2010 (comprising 14.9% of the share capital and 3.8% of the voting rights) for €3.02 billion. This share sale left Renault with around 17.5% of Volvo's voting rights. Renault sold their remaining shares in December 2012 (comprising 6.5% of

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720-405: A space in the back that sells clothing, jewelry, books, and textiles. Volvo Hall is a bright, dramatic space with glass walls to its east and west overlooking Park Avenue. It has an adjoining garden terrace with quartzite stone and wood details, offers a setting for outdoor receptions and meeting breaks. Volvo Hall can accommodate up to 250 guests for receptions and 120 for seated dining. The hall

780-401: A typical building material from Scandinavia, although this idea was later abandoned. The aim of the building is to exhibit Scandinavian building materials, technological advancement and open, easy-to-transform space. Scandinavia House includes the 168-seat Victor Borge Hall for performances, lectures, and film screenings, a 3rd Floor Gallery presenting ongoing exhibitions of major artists from

840-493: A wide array of fellowships, grants, internships, and published materials. ASF was one of the first non-governmental organizations to promote cultural relations between countries. The Foundation is governed by a board of trustees of individuals from the United States and Scandinavia, representing diverse interests yet linked by personal or professional ties to the Scandinavian countries. The five Nordic Heads of State serve as

900-496: Is a 2,200 square foot space located on the main level of Scandinavia House, overlooking Park Avenue , that houses restaurant Smörgås Chef. It runs almost the entire length of the main floor, and has an open plan and transparent space. The street-scape can be seen from inside and from street, people can see in the building. It is a common design of late modernism. There is a small gift shop near its entrance which sells Scandinavian design products along with souvenirs and sweets as well as

960-409: Is a publicly supported 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that carries out an extensive program of fellowships , grants , intern and trainee J-1 visa sponsorship, publishing, membership offerings, and cultural events. The foundation is governed by a board of trustees of individuals from the United States and Scandinavia, representing diverse interests, yet linked by personal or professional ties to

1020-513: Is designed in the International Style characteristic of the late 1990s to the early 2000s. It was designed by Polshek Partnership Architects (now Ennead Architects). It has six floors above the ground and two floors below, and is 50 feet (15 m) wide. The building is detailed in minimalist Scandinavian design; the facade is finished with gray and light blue zinc and glass. Initially, it was supposed to be partly covered with wood,

1080-437: Is equally owned by AB Volvo and Volvo Car Corporation. The main activity of the company is to own, maintain, protect and preserve the Volvo trademarks, including Volvo , the Volvo branding symbols (grille slash and iron mark), Volvo Penta , on behalf of its owners and to license these rights to its owners. The day-to-day work is focused upon maintaining the global portfolio of trademark registrations, and to extend sufficiently

1140-540: Is renowned: art and design; industrial development; and commercial, political, economic, and social innovation. Leading journalists and writers on both sides of the Atlantic write for it. The Foundation also publishes books, including the occasional series Scandinavian Classics and Scandinavian Monographs, both of which began in 1914. The annual ASF translation competition is awarded for the most outstanding translations of poetry, fiction, drama or literary prose written by

1200-701: Is used as showroom space, a place for fashion shows, presentation space, and official gatherings. It houses social events and educational programs carried out by ASF. On this floor there is also an outdoor Wallenius terrace for serving guests of the Scandinavian House during summer. The Stolt-Nielsen , Gundersen , Ginsberg, and Leif Hoegh Galleries are used for exhibitions of the best Scandinavian painting, sculpture, photography, and design. Exhibitions have included solo exhibitions of noted Nordic artists such as Edvard Munch and Vilhelm Hammershøi, as well group exhibitions presenting major artworks from each of

1260-748: The New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies . Each year the ASF awards more than $ 800,000 in fellowships and grants to individual students, scholars, professionals, and artists—either Scandinavians studying or conducting research in the United States or Americans studying or conducting research in Scandinavia. Through its public project grants, the ASF funds a wide variety of programs that bring American and Scandinavian culture, art, and thought to public audiences. Grants are awarded to arts and educational institutions adding

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1320-554: The trade name Milence. In April 2021, Volvo announced that it had signed up a new partnership with steel manufacturer SSAB to develop fossil fuel-free steel for future use in Volvo's vehicles. The partnership is derived from SSAB's own green steel venture, HYBRIT. In November 2023, Volvo acquired Proterra 's battery business for US$ 210 million. Volvo has announced that it is developing trucks with combustion engines that run on hydrogen. Commercial tests will begin in early 2026. Volvo Group's operations include: According to

1380-758: The 1970s onwards, Volvo set up various facilities ( Bengtsfors , Lindesberg , Vara , Tanumshede , Färgelanda , Borås ), most of them within a 150 kilometer radius of Gothenburg, and gradually acquired the Dutch DAF car plants. It also established its first South American plant in Curitiba , Brazil. From the mid-1970s onwards, Volvo began building assembly plants with smaller assembly lines, more worker-centric and with better use of automation, leaving Fordism . These were Kalmar (car assembly, built in 1974), Tuve (truck assembly, 1982) and Uddevalla (car assembly, 1989). Kalmar and Uddevalla were closed down in

1440-459: The 1990s, Volvo also increased its construction equipment assets by acquiring the Swedish company Åkerman and the construction equipment division of Samsung Heavy Industries . In 1998, the company opened an assembly facility for its three main heavy product lines (trucks, construction equipment, and buses) near Bangalore , India. Volvo sold all its car manufacturing assets in 1999. Following

1500-651: The Blenheim Hill Farm in the Catskills, which has been in operation since the 1740s. There is also a small area behind Scandinavia House has up to 300 donors from the U.S. and abroad. Among them are individuals, corporations, and foundations, as well as the Nordic governments and the Nordic Council of Ministers . Scandinavian House is under the management of the American-Scandinavian Foundation which

1560-702: The Foundation celebrated its first 100 years with a series of events attended by Scandinavian heads of state. The centenary exhibition, Luminous Modernism: Scandinavian Art Comes to America, 1912 , was opened by Queen Sonja of Norway on October 20, 2011, in the presence of King Harald , King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden , Crown Princess Mary of Denmark , and Finnish President Tarja Halonen . More than 26,000 young Americans and Scandinavians have participated in ASF's exchange programs of study, research or practical training. Many of its alumni have gone on to leading positions in business, government and

1620-676: The Hisingen island, was owned by SKF until it was made part of the Volvo company in 1930. That year, Volvo acquired its supplier of engines in Skövde (Pentavarken). In 1942, Volvo acquired its supplier of transmissions, Köpings Mekaniska Verkstad, located in the town of Köping . In 1954, Volvo built a new truck assembly plant in Gothenburg and, in 1959– 1964, a car assembly plant in Torslanda . The first truly branched away plant of Volvo

1680-719: The Nordic countries, the Heimbold Family Children's Learning Center, which offers regular programs and activities for children and families, and the Halldór Laxness Library. The Victor Borge Hall combines the best in Scandinavian design with state-of-the-art technology, and can accommodate 168 seated guests. Programming in the hall includes a variety of symposiums, lectures, presentations, concerts, and performances, as well as film screenings each season. The F. Donald Kenney Reception Area and Taplin Café

1740-402: The Nordic countries. Exhibitions are presented alongside related programming including symposia, panel discussions, films, lectures, and art workshops. The Halldór Laxness Library is furnished in classic Scandinavian design . Huge windows overlook Park Avenue, offering an excellent vista of New York landmarks. Computers with internet access are available and a small reading area is adjacent to

1800-447: The Scandinavian countries. The five Nordic heads of state serve as the organization's patrons : Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden , Harald V of Norway , Frederik X of Denmark , Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson , and Sauli Ninistö . In addition, Princess Benedikte of Denmark , Princess Märtha Louise of Norway , Martti Ahtisaari , Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden , and Vigdís Finnbogadóttir have been named as honorary trustees. In October 2011

1860-575: The University of Gothenburg , Mälardalen University College , and the University of Skövde . In November 2013, Volvo Trucks enlisted Jean-Claude Van Damme to perform a split between two moving trucks in reverse. The goal of this campaign, titled "Epic Split," was to demonstrate the stability and precision of their "Dynamic Steering" model. In just three weeks, the video went viral, garnering over 61 million views on YouTube . Two years after

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1920-463: The acquisition of Renault Véhicules Industriels and Nissan Diesel in the 2000s, Volvo gained various production facilities in Europe, North America, and Asia. In 2014, Volvo's Volvo Construction Equipment acquired the haul truck manufacturing division of Terex Corporation , which included five truck models and a manufacturing facility in Motherwell , Scotland. Volvo Trademark Holding AB

1980-459: The alliance were signed in October 2020, with UD Trucks sale pending on regulatory clearances. The sale was completed in April 2021. In the early 2020s, Volvo partnered with other manufacturers to deploy infrastructure for non- hydrocarbon energies. In April 2020, Volvo and Daimler (later Daimler Truck ) announced that the former planned to acquire half of Daimler's fuel cell business, forming

2040-433: The arts. The Foundation cultivates enduring academic, professional, and personal ties between the U.S. and the Nordic countries. The Foundation's internship and training programs enable young Americans and Scandinavians living abroad to receive practical working experience in fields such as engineering, shipping, law, finance, agriculture, and technology. Language classes at Scandinavia House are offered and accredited through

2100-587: The automotive company Geely Holding Group . Both AB Volvo and Volvo Cars share the Volvo logo and cooperate in running the Volvo Museum in Gothenburg, Sweden. The corporation was first listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1935, and was on the NASDAQ indices from 1985 to 2007. Volvo is one of Sweden's largest companies by market capitalisation and revenue. The brand name Volvo

2160-520: The company, in 2021 almost two thirds (62%) of its revenue came from trucks and services related to them. Second came construction equipment (25%), and the rest was from buses, marine engines, and minor operations, each of them below 5%. Volvo has various production facilities. As of 2022 , it has plants in 19 countries, with 10 other countries having independent assemblers of Volvo products. The company also has product development, distribution, and logistics centers. Its first plant for vehicle assembly, on

2220-648: The early 1990s, following yearly losses. The Tuve plant (called the LB plant) replaced the Gothenburg plant (X plant) for truck assembly through the 1980s, as the former could produce more technologically complex models. In 1982, Volvo gained its first plant in the United States, the New River Valley plant in Dublin , Virginia, after acquiring the assets of the White Motor Corporation. Starting in

2280-483: The first floor of Scandinavia House is Björk Cafe & Bistro operated by chef Ulrika Bengtsson and Sabina Lindmark serving Nordic fusion. The prior restaurant was Smorgas Chef, a full-service restaurant that is operated by Morten Sohlberg which closed around 2022 which also operated two more facilities in Wall Street and West Village which also closed as of 2017. The restaurant had used ingredients from its own farm,

2340-486: The late 1980s, Volvo expanded its limited bus production capabilities through acquisitions in various countries (Swedish Saffle Karroseri, Danish Aabenraa, German Drögmöller Karroserien, Canadian Prévost Car, Finnish Carrus, American Nova Bus, Mexican Mexicana de Autobuses). In the late 1990s, after a short-lived joint venture with Polish manufacturer Jelcz , Volvo built its main bus production hub for Europe in Wroclaw . In

2400-499: The latter company rejected it. Between 1978 and 1981, Volvo acquired Beijerinvest , a trading company involved in the oil, food, and finance businesses. In 1981, those sectors represented about three quarters of Volvo's revenue, while the automotive sector amounted for most of the rest. In 1982, the company completed the acquisition of White Motor Corporation 's assets. In the early 1970s, French manufacturer Renault and Volvo started to collaborate. In 1978, Volvo Car Corporation

2460-447: The local population and guests with Scandinavian languages and customs by organizing courses. The Nordic Center was designed by architect James Stewart Polshek and opened to the public in 2000 with a visit from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and their eldest daughter, Princess Victoria , Princess Martha Louise of Norway, and Princess Benedikte of Denmark . Scandinavia House, located on 58 Park Avenue, Manhattan,

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2520-594: The main part of the room. The Heimbold Family Children's Playing and Learning Center is open during the week to children's center members, and open to the public on Saturdays. The American-Scandinavian Foundation and Scandinavia House offices are located on the fifth and sixth floor. Located on these floors are the Statoil and Teekay Conference Rooms and the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation Seminar Room. Located on

2580-475: The organization's patrons - Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden , Harald V of Norway , Frederik X of Denmark , Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson , and Sauli Ninistö . 40°44′57.75″N 73°58′48″W  /  40.7493750°N 73.98000°W  / 40.7493750; -73.98000 The American-Scandinavian Foundation ASF was founded in 1910 by the Danish-American industrialist Niels Poulson. It

2640-659: The plot of land for $ 5 million in 1996. Polshek Partnership Architects was contracted to design the new and modern Scandinavia House According to the New York Times , the president of the ASF, Edward P. Gallagher, stated that it was a "fully public building". It offers a wide range of programs that illuminate the culture and vitality of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Scandinavia House offerings include diverse exhibitions and film series, as well as concerts and other performances, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children's activities. The building

2700-588: The scope of the registered protection for the Volvo trademarks. The main business is also to act against unauthorised registration and use (including counterfeiting ) of trademarks identical or similar to the Volvo trademarks on a global basis. Volvo has a strategic collaboration within research and recruitment with a number of selected colleges and universities, such as Penn State University , INSA Lyon , EMLYON  Business School , NC State University , Sophia University , Chalmers University of Technology , The Gothenburg School of Business, Economics and Law at

2760-598: The share capital and 17.2% of the voting rights at the time of transaction) for €1.6 billion, leaving Swedish industrial investment group Aktiebolaget Industrivärden as the largest shareholder, with 6.2% of the share capital and 18.7% of the voting rights. That same year, Volvo sold Volvo Aero to the British company GKN . In 2017 Volvo Cars owner Geely became the largest Volvo shareholder by number of shares after acquiring an 8.2% stake, displacing Industrivärden. Industrivärden kept more voting rights than Geely (Geely getting

2820-596: Was a 1909 French neoclassical building finished with limestone. It was owned by Grace Rainey Rogers until her death in 1943. Her house was built by real estate developer Horace Trumbauer from Philadelphia. His chief designer was the first African American architect, Julian Francis Abele . During the last decades of the 20th century, the house served as the United Nations mission of the German Democratic Republic. ASF bought it together with

2880-578: Was designed by the architect James Stewart Polshek and opened to the public in 2000. Volvo The Volvo Group ( Swedish : Volvokoncernen ; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo , shortened to AB Volvo , stylized as VOLVO ) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg . While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of trucks, buses and construction equipment, Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems and financial services. In 2016, it

2940-552: Was founded by Niels Poulson . Poulson was a Danish-American who owned a successful iron manufacturing company, Pulsen & Eger whose name was later changed to Heckla, after an active Volcano in Iceland. In 1910, he founded ASF (initially known as the American Scandinavian Society) which was a publicly funded, non-profit organization. The aim of the organization was to support cultural activities by funding

3000-415: Was introduced at the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1935 and SKF then decided to sell its shares in the company. By 1942, Volvo acquired the Swedish precision engineering company Svenska Flygmotor (later renamed as Volvo Aero). Pentaverken, which had manufactured engines for Volvo, was acquired in 1935, providing a secure supply of engines and entry into the marine engine market. The first bus, named B1,

3060-663: Was launched in 1934, and aircraft engines were added to the growing range of products at the beginning of the 1940s. Volvo was also responsible for producing the Stridsvagn m/42 . In 1963, Volvo opened the Volvo Halifax Assembly plant, the first assembly plant in the company's history outside of Sweden in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada . In 1950, Volvo acquired the Swedish construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer Bolinder-Munktell . Bolinder-Munktell

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3120-407: Was opened in 2000 by the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) as a center for Nordic culture in the United States. The building was the first permanent location of ASF after a decade of moving between several addresses. Construction of the new building cost around $ 13 million. According to the ASF website, more than 1.5 million people have visited since then. The previous building in this location

3180-486: Was originally registered as a trademark in May 1911, with the intention to be used for a new series of SKF ball bearings . It means "I roll" in Latin , conjugated from "volvere". The idea was short-lived, and SKF decided to simply use its initials as the trademark for all its bearing products. In 1924, Assar Gabrielsson , an SKF sales manager, and Gustav Larson , a KTH educated engineer, decided to start construction of

3240-572: Was placed within Ford's Premier Automotive Group alongside Jaguar , Land Rover and Aston Martin . Volvo engineering resources and components would be used in various Ford, Land Rover and Aston Martin products, with the second generation Land Rover Freelander designed on the same platform as the second generation Volvo S80. The Volvo T5 petrol engine was used in the Ford Focus ST and RS performance models, and Volvo's satellite navigation system

3300-561: Was renamed as Volvo BM in 1973. In 1979, Volvo BM's agricultural equipment business was sold to Valmet . Later, through restructuring and acquisitions, the remaining construction equipment business became Volvo Construction Equipment . In the 1970s, Volvo started to move away from car manufacturing to concentrate more on heavy commercial vehicles. The car division focused on models aimed at upper middle-class customers to improve its profitability. In 1977, Volvo tried to combine operations with rival Swedish automotive group Saab-Scania , but

3360-577: Was sold to Volvo during January 2001, and Volvo renamed it Renault Trucks in 2002. Renault became AB Volvo's biggest shareholder, with a 19.9% stake (in shares and voting rights) as part of the deal. Renault increased its shareholding to 21.7% by 2010. AB Volvo acquired 13% of the shares in the Japanese truck manufacturer Nissan Diesel (later renamed UD Trucks) from Nissan (part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance ) during 2006, becoming

3420-505: Was spun off as a separate company within the Volvo group and Renault acquired a minority stake, before selling it back in the 1980s after a restructuring. In the 1990s, Renault and Volvo deepened their collaboration and both companies partnered in purchasing, research and development and quality control while increasing their cross-ownership. Renault would assist Volvo with entry-level and medium segment vehicles and in return, Volvo would share technology with Renault in upper segments. In 1993,

3480-586: Was the Floby gearbox plant (100 kilometers to the northeast of Gothenburg), incorporated in 1958. In the 1960s and early 1970s, Volvo and its assembly partners opened plants in Canada, Belgium, Malaysia, and Australia. In the early part of that period Volvo also started to venture into vehicles other than passenger cars and road-going commercial vehicles by acquiring the Eskilstuna plant (Bolinder-Munktell). From

3540-510: Was the world's second-largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks with its subsidiary Volvo Trucks . Volvo was founded in 1927. Initially involved in the automobile industry, Volvo expanded into other manufacturing sectors throughout the twentieth century. Automobile manufacturer Volvo Cars , also based in Gothenburg, was part of AB Volvo until 1999, when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company . Since 2010 Volvo Cars has been owned by

3600-618: Was used on certain Aston Martin Vanquish, DB9 and V8 Vantage models. In November 1999, Volvo Group purchased a 5% stake in Mitsubishi Motors, as part of a partnership deal for the truck and bus business. In 2001, after DaimlerChrysler bought a large Mitsubishi Motors stake, Volvo sold its shares to the former. Renault Véhicules Industriels (which included Mack Trucks , but not Renault's stake in Irisbus )

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