Swedish Asbestos Management Firm will Establish in Fayetteville

"This is only the beginning, much more will come..."

Adam Lindahl and David Hard are Swedish asbestos management specialists. For 15 years they have removed asbestos in Sweden - a country known for its taught regulations when it comes to environmental safety. Now Lindahl and Hard have decided to move their company "Demolition & Asbestos Removal and Recycling" to Fayetteville.

"We will hire around 25 people", Adam Lindahl, the company’s President, states.

The establishment of this company is the first result of the collaboration between Fayetteville Economic Development Council, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce South Central.

Fayetteville Economic Development Council and Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce have entered into an agreement with the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce South Central and its representative Per-Erik Persson. The aim of the agreement is to transfer Swedish "cleantech" products and technologies to Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas using the region as a gateway to the entire U.S. market for "green" Swedish companies with state of the art products and technologies.

Two Swedish companies - "Stridsberg Powertrain" and "MRD Salj & Bygg" - have already visited Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas. "Demolition & Asbestos Removal and Recycling" is visiting this week (leaving Saturday June 7). "Moving Floor" and "Gotlands El & Automation" will visit June 10-16.

Adam Lindahl (37), President and owner of Demolition & Asbestos Removal and Recycling, and his partner David Hard (42), have already decided to move the company to Fayetteville.

"The market is huge here and I also think the Swedish know how and taught Swedish regulations and environmental safety rules we lean on is needed here", Adam Lindahl states.

"We have 15 years of Swedish experience for asbestos removal, so I really think we have something interesting to transfer to the U.S. market. It is a challenge for us to move here and start this business; and we love challenges!"

According to Lindahl, the company will hire about 6 people in year one, another 8 in year two and 10-12 in year three. "These numbers are very realistic" Lindahl says. "I assume we can hire many more people, but let’s calculate in a conservative way with 25 people during a period of three years".

Adam Lindahl and David Hard have already met with prospective clients in Arkansas. "We are pretty sure we will have orders soon", Lindahl says.

They have also met in Little Rock with Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and received information about the actual asbestos management regulations in Arkansas.

The company, Demolition & Asbestos Removal and Recycling, is today registered in Florida but will be transferred to Fayetteville as soon as possible. Lindahl and Hard and their families are right now waiting for work visas.

"As soon as we have the visas the moving process will start", Lindahl says. Per-Erik Persson at the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce South Central is happy: “I have been working in Fayetteville only for a couple of weeks, but we have already this breakthrough! This is amazing! The asbestos company is the beginning only, the tip of the iceberg. More Swedish companies will follow - and I think it will be soon..."

Steve Rust, President and CEO of Fayetteville Economic Development Council, is very pleased about the announcement saying, “This is what Green Valley is all about, bringing new companies with clean technology to NWA. The partnership with the Fayetteville Chamber has made this possible. Without their financial assistance we would not have been able to team with the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce- South Central United States (SAAC-SCUS).

Contact: Steve Rust, FEDC President & CEO

Tel: 479-442-8885; Cell: 200-6090
Per-Erik Persson, tel: 601-383-0759

Adam Lindahl, tel: 510-375-8030