In this issue:

August 2006

Dear DACCNY Member,
We are heading for another equinox, the calendar's end of summer. However, for many of us, the quiet season of summer is already over. Every year, the hectic fall season of getting back to business, seems to begin earlier and earlier, while the frenetic spring season of getting everything done before the summer, seems to end later and later. We may be saying goodbye to summer in more ways than one.

Here at the Danish American Chamber of Commerce, we are already doing our bit to make a busy fall season busier still. There will be much to offer our membership and this might be a good time to suggest to our members that they also have much to offer the DACC. Not only can our members help recruit new members to the Chamber - after all, the more we are, the more we can do - but our members, as part of the general business community, will be able to provide the Chamber with leads to possible speakers as well as ideas for events. We always encourage our members to contact the Secretariat with such leads and ideas.

The DACC welcomes back to work those members for whom the busy fall season has already begun, as well as those, who are still able to enjoy the last vestiges of a waning summer.

Latest events in the Chamber

Skål-Bowl

On Tuesday, June 6th at 6 pm The DACC bowling stars opened the first annual DACC bowling event at Danish owned Leisuretimebowl located on the Port Authority Building's second floor. The event started with a welcome reception with cocktails, Carlsberg and hors d'oeuvres. CIO of Leisuretimebowl and DACC member Dennis Blynov described Leisuretimebowl's major renovation project, which had started just a few days earlier, and which is expected to be completed in due time for next year's Skål-Bowl.

After the reception the serious part of the evening commenced with six teams competing against each other. Carlsberg towers were placed at each bowling station and food was brought out, and then the games could begin. The DACC would like to thank Hummel North America, Normann Copenhagen and Leisuretimebowl for their donations to the three winning teams and Carlsberg for sponsoring what is "probably the best beer in the world".

Sustaining Members' Dinner
On Wednesday, May 24th at 7 pm the spring Sustaining Members' Dinner took place at the Consul General's residence. The theme for the dinner meeting was the new protocol providing the potential elimination of the United States withholding tax on dividends paid to a Danish parent company. The protocol has not yet been ratified by the U.S. Senate and the Danish Parliament, and therefore its amendments (including the elimination of U.S. withholding tax on dividends) are not yet effective. Ratification is expected in the autumn of 2006.

ICFF 2006
On Sunday, May 21st from 3-5 pm members of the DACC were able to view the outstanding Danish pavilion at this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair as well as the latest trends in furniture and design worldwide. The Danish pavilion hosted a champagne reception at 4 pm with music by a pianist playing a very special Poul Henningsen piano, see picture below. At the end of the day the Danish Flow Market stand was awarded the ICFF Editors Award.

Leif Hansen event
On Wednesday, May 17th at 5-7 pm the Danish Consulate and Leif Hansen & Planners hosted a meeting at the Consulate on why there is a need for alliances across the Atlantic Ocean between engineering consulting firms and what this entails.

Two engineers from Thornton Tomasetti Group (USA) and Leif Hansen Consultants & Planners (DK) spoke about their specific fields of expertise and how they benefit from each other's experience. Furthermore, two architectural companies Studio Daniel Libeskind (USA) and 3xNielsen (DK) enriched the presentation with how crucial the cooperation is between architects and engineers on world class building projects. A reception followed the presentation. A similar meeting will be held in the fall, in which all DACC members are invited.

Social Security Agreement between Denmark & the US

This fall the US and Denmark are expected to sign a new social security agreement which will allow people moving between the two countries to take their pension with them so that one's social security can be paid out even if moving to Denmark, and the "folkepension" can be paid out even if moving to the US. The agreement is expected to take effect in 2007. The new agreement will also be an improvement for expatriates since Danes working for a short period of time in the US can now be exempt from the US social security system and instead uphold the connection to the Danish system, thus continuing to qualify for the Danish social pension. The visa requirements for moving between the two countries have not changed, however, so the new agreement will only benefit you if you are a citizen of the country you are moving to or have a residence permit or green card.

Lundbeck's Lexapro/Cipralex expected to become number 1 in the US

Lundbeck's Lexapro is expected to become the leading antidepressant medication in the United States shortly. The current leader, Zoloft, which brought in 2.6 billion dollars in sales in the US in 2005, was approved by the US health authorities in 1997 and lost their patent on June 30th this year. Zoloft is produced by Lundbeck's competitor Pfizer. In 2005 Lexapro was the most prescribed antidepressant in the US after Zoloft. Globally Wyeth's Effexor brings in larger revenues than Lexapro, but measured in number of prescriptions Lexapro is larger than Effexor. When a product looses its patent sales go down almost immediately as the market quickly overflows with cheap copies. Zoloft consumers may switch to a cheaper product, but it is unlikely that Zoloft's existing competitors will loose market shares because of the expired patent. The US market for antidepressants constitutes 70 percent of the world market, which in 2005 totaled 19.9 billion dollars.

Corporate Contracts Result in Prize for Eriksen Translations

Companies competing to do business with major corporations are always looking for ways to get the attention of procurement departments. DACC-member Eriksen Translations has made headlines in those circles by receiving second prize in the Women Presidents' Educational Organization's (WPEO) Inaugural Done Deals™ Challenge. Like the 300 other companies that participated, Eriksen reported all of its contracts signed with WPEO sponsor corporations and other Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certified businesses.

For Vigdis Eriksen, the president and CEO of Eriksen Translations, certification and the attention the company has garnered through the Done Deals™ Challenge prize is only one part of her business development strategy. Ironically, the corporate contracts the company reported to receive the prize were not secured through initiatives like woman-owned business certification. The twenty-year-old Eriksen Translations has long had a reputation as a provider of high-quality multilingual services, particularly for Scandinavian languages, and word-of-mouth has been the best marketing. As the company has expanded over the years to offer services including translation, interpreting, typesetting, web localization and cultural consulting in over 100 languages, it is still the Nordic attention to detail that clients appreciate most.

The certification has allowed Ms. Eriksen and her team to develop relationships with procurement departments in those companies where they already have contracts with individual divisions. When working with major banks, law firms, or pharmaceutical companies, for instance, WBENC certification gives the company the opportunity to get in touch with departments that would otherwise be unaware that there is already a language services provider that the corporation trusts. Much like the Danish-American Chamber of Commerce offers support and the ability to network within a like-minded community, the WPEO provides connections and the possibility to broaden one's reach to some of the largest corporations in the U.S.

Danish - US Business Summit 2006

The DACC in Georgia is this year's host of the Danish-American Business Summit. The event was created last year to allow Danish companies to interact and share experiences on doing business in the US and for American companies to learn about doing business in Denmark. Furthermore, the event promotes the economic and cultural ties between the United States and Denmark.

The business summit will be held at the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Community Center in Atlanta, and this year's theme is "The American Dream - how Danish companies in the US use the American business culture as a tool for success". A detailed program of the business summit will be published shortly. For further information, please visit the joint website for Danish-American Chambers of Commerce in the US, www.dacc-usa.com.

Meinertz Danica A/S - On Top of New York Times

Though humble in size, Meinertz Danica A/S has made it big in the US delivering their radiators to the new New York Times Tower.

Being a small company has only been beneficial for Meinertz on The New York Times project, as it has allowed them to be an active part of the entire process from start to finish. Meinertz has been working on the project for three years, gathering all the different ideas, thoughts and wishes from all parties involved and stirring up a melting pot of creative design and technical demands.

Meinertz - Danish craftsmanship
For some, Meinertz may be relatively unheard of, but their products are in fact well represented in both private homes and office buildings around the world, and of course especially in Denmark. Their production includes finned tubes, radiators and their popular convection grilles, all of which have become sought-after by various architects and artists around the world.

The reason for Meinertz' success and newfound modernity is simple. Their products are innovative, contemporary in their design and most importantly, efficient! The combination of traditional craftsmanship and new thoughts are what makes them perfect for both new buildings as well as restoration projects. The secret to the radiators' popularity lies in their high thermal performance and low-energy requirements; however, the secret behind Meinertz's success lies in their flexibility and insatiability for new solutions and product improvements.

"Quality is our priority"
At Meinertz it is all about flexibility and quality insurance. Meinertz's production system is very flexible and allows a radiator length of up to 6 meters. Even curves are possible, making the radiators fit for arched angles and ceilings. Furthermore the radiators can be installed on the floor, under the ceiling or even in the floor channels, leaving endless opportunities for creating a finished and stylish look.

Parallel to the modern production facilities is their technical design team who is dedicated to making tailored solutions for each individual project - and with the New York Times project, there has been some tailoring in relation to making the technical specifications fit the strict demands of public safety.

The New York Times project has most definitely put Meinertz in an international spotlight of successful cooperation. At present, Meinertz is closing in on the last specifications before starting the production and are looking forward to inspecting the final result of the building.

A web page that works
The New York Times project planners learned about Meinertz and their products online, which shows how important it is to have a well-functioning and informative web page with a clear message and product details.

With modern production equipment, great references and a long tradition of good service and high quality, Meinertz has built a solid foundation on which they can grow and continue their curious development.

The New York Times building is scheduled to open in mid-2007. Meinertz radiators can, among other places, be seen at the Copenhagen Business School, FIH Langelinie, Danish Design Center, and in The Royal Danish Library in Copenhagen.

Don't Worry - Be Happy

In a recent study carried out by Adrian White, an analytic social psychologist at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, Danes were found to be the happiest people on the planet. Adrian White explains that more the underlying sense of well-being than an emotional state of happiness was studied. White used data published by, among others, UNESCO, the New Economics Foundation and the WHO to create a global projection of subjective well-being: the first world map of happiness. Participants in the various studies were asked questions relating to happiness and satisfaction with life. The meta-analysis is based on the findings of over 100 different studies around the world, which questioned 80,000 people worldwide. For this study data has also been analyzed in relation to health, wealth and access to education. After Denmark Switzerland, Austria, Iceland and the Bahamas ranked the highest. Sweden was ranked number 7, Norway number 19 and the United States number 23.

Nyt World Trade Center får danske møbler

Danske møbler bliver eksponeret som fremtidens kontordesign i det nye World Trade Center - en eksponering der kommer den danske designbranche til gode.

Møbler fra det danske designfirma Gubi er allerede rykket ind på 26. etage af den nye bygning Seven World Trade Center i New York, til trods for bygningen endnu ikke står klar, og man stadig mangler at finde lejere. "Det er en enorm blå- stempling og bekræftelse af vores design. Projektet her har haft stor betydning for vores profilering både i USA og resten af verden", siger Jacob Gubi, administrerende direktør for Gubi, der allerede mærker effekten i form af øgede salgstal i USA.

Etagen fungerer som showroom for de kommende lejere af kontorlokalerne i bygningen. Her kan de blive inspireret til nye kontormiljøer i skandinavisk design. "Vi håber, at vi kan komme til at indrette flere kontorer i bygningen", siger Jacob Gubi.

Projektet gik i gang i sommeren 2005 og etagen står nu færdig. Allerede nu mærker den danske designbranche effekten af eksponeringen. Dansk Design Center, der aktivt arbejder for at brande dansk design internationalt, melder om øget interesse fra USA omkring dansk design. "Vi har talt med amerikanske journalister, der er blevet meget opmærksomme på Danmark. De mener, at projektet har haft stor betydning for dansk design. Det er en fantastisk mulighed for eksponering", siger Birgitta Capatillo, pressechef for Dansk Design Center, der lægger vægt på, at det kommer hele den danske designbranche til gode.

Det er ikke kun det nye World Trade Center, der nyder godt af dansk design. Museum of Modern Art, MOMA, har i de sidste par år været prydet med dansk design i deres bar og restaurant, hvor Gubi er blevet udvalgt til at møblere en cafe. "Det er fantastisk vigtigt at være med i projektet med det nye World Trade Center. Man kan se det som en opfølgning på den danske succes med designprojektet på MOMA, hvor Gubi også er med. At man fortsætter i New York på det nye World Trade Center, det er fantastisk positivt for dansk design og for Gubi", siger Birgitta Capatillo.

Dansk design har længe haft en nøgleposition på Manhattan. "I sin tid blev FN bygningen i New York indrettet med Finn Juhl møbler, og opfølgningen kommer i dag, hvor nye danske møbler og designere indtager New York", siger Birgitta Capatillo, der glæder sig over eksponeringen af dansk design.

A Bit of Biz News

Sterling to open three routes from Aalborg Airport
From Jyllandsposten
Scandinavian budget airline Sterling has announced plans to open new routes from Aalborg Airport to and from Copenhagen and London on 18 September and to and from Malaga on 23 September.Sterling is owned by the Icelandic investment company FL Group, and is headquartered in Copenhagen.

Danish Biotech Company Makes Potential Billion Kroner Deal
From Berlingske Tidende
Danish biotech company Santaris Pharma has made a deal with US Enzon Pharmaceuticals from Bridgewater, NJ which will potentially pay 1.2 billion kroner in milestone payments. The two biotech companies are working together on two promising cancer treatment projects and have split the market between them so that Santaris will concentrate on Europe and Enzon the rest of the world.

Danish Shipping Companies Invest Heavily in New Ships
From Børsen
Danish shipping companies headed by A.P. Møller-Maersk, maintain positive future expectations despite a gloomy outlook on the industry from some financial institutions because of decreasing container freight prices. Danish shipping companies have a record number of 247 new ships on order, worth USD 12.75 bn. The new ships are spread evenly across owners and types of vessel. The Danish merchant fleet currently handles 10% of the world's shipping trade.

Tivoli Home

My Danish heritage and passion for design inspired me to start a new business, Tivoli Home, in the fall of 2005. Tivoli Home sells home accessories with a distinct Scandinavian design aesthetic and sensibility.

My parents moved to Houston in the late 1950's from Copenhagen and Korsør. They had both traveled in the US before meeting one another in Denmark, and decided to live here upon getting married.

We were the different family on the block in 1960's suburban Houston: our odd Danish furniture such as Hans Wegner Papa Chairs (now back in production), blue and white porcelain, Danish au pair girls, candles, paintings on the wall…. plus our strange foods such as sild, frikadeller and leverpostej. And of course, my parents' strong Danish accents.

But my brother, sister & I knew it was also our good fortune to have Danish parents - not too many kids got to fly to Europe back in those days. Regular trips back to visit family and friends nurtured my interests in design and gerontology.

Last year, I concluded a rewarding career of 20 years as a doctor of social gerontology (social policy, program development, services & advocacy for the elderly). That was also a passion - now it is time to pursue my passion for, and promote, Scandinavian design.

Tivoli Home has an active retail website and a small Tivoli Home shop will be opening this September in the arts-oriented neighborhood of DUMBO in Brooklyn. The collection includes both familiar names such as Holmegaard, Stelton, and iittala, together with goods from emerging designers such as Kirsten Fribert and Malene Helbak.

A wholesale component is also in the works, focusing exclusively on high quality goods from Denmark. Starting with By Fribert textiles, Tivoli Home now also represents designer Rikke Jakobsen's collection of fine bone china, and designer Lisbet Friis' line of hand printed textiles. Queen Margrethe II commissioned Lisbet Friis to design and produce textiles for use on the Royal Yacht, Dannebrog. Both Kirsten Fribert and Lisbet Friis were represented in the Danish Crafts Collection as MOMA.

As the US agent for By Fribert textiles, I was interviewed on film this spring as part of an upcoming Danish television documentary about the recent Danish Crafts Collection promotion at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) Design Shops and Danish design in NYC. We are only just starting - it has certainly been interesting so far.

For more information or to join the Tivoli Home mailing list, please visit www.tivolihome.com, or contact us by phone (212) 505-2067 or email kenneth@tivolihome.com.

Upcoming Meetings in the Chamber - Save the Dates

Annual meeting
Date and time tba. It is time for the annual DACC meeting. Several important DACC matters are on the agenda, and each and every DACC member is urged to attend. A light reception, courtesy of the DACC, will follow the meeting. There is no fee for this meeting.

Danish-US economy
Date and time tba. In September DACC members are invited to a meeting on Danish-US economic relations and Danish economy in an international/US perspective. Guest speaker tba. Location: The Danish Consulate General.

Corporate Security
Date and time tba. The DACC will host a meeting on Corporate Security. Guest speakers tba. Location: The Danish Consulate General.

Co-operation Across the Atlantic
- Hosted by Leif Hansen Consultants & Planners and Thornton Tomasetti Group.

All DACC members are invited to an interesting evening on the benefits of working across nations and occupations. Danish and American architects and engineers have a lot to offer individually, but put them together and they will create something extraordinary…

Leif Hansen and Thornton Tomasetti Group will present their view on the subject, telling us why they have taken a closer look at the neighbors across the Atlantic Sea. Both Danish and American professionals, including architects Steven Holl from Steven Holl (USA) and Louis Becker from Henning Larsens Tegnestue (DK), will deliver presentations on their international work.

Please be invited to this event on November 8th 2006 from 5pm-7pm. A reception of light refreshments will follow the presentation. Please note that reservations are required and that there will be a guest list at the door.

To sign up, please contact Line Lundø, (212) 705-4949 or lijako@um.dk.

Sustaining Members' Dinner
Date and time tba. For November's Sustaining Members' Dinner, which will take place at the Consul General's residence, the DACC's sustaining members and a few corporate members, who are selected on a rotational basis, will be invited. Guest speaker tba. Printed invitations will be sent out in early October.

Christmas Luncheon
December 15th, 2006 at 12-3 pm. Again this year the DACC Christmas Luncheon will take place in the beautiful surroundings of the Harvard Club of New York City. Invitations will be sent out early November, but please save the date.

Other events

Victor Borge event: On Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 at 6.30 pm Janet Borge Crowle, daughter of the legendary Danish-American entertainer and pianist Victor Borge, will speak about her father at Scandinavia House. The program is a collaboration between the American Scandinavian Foundation and the American Scandinavian Society. A reception will follow the program. For reservations, please contact the American Scandinavian Foundation (212-879-9779), the American Scandinavian society (212 779-751-0714) or Erle A. Andersen (914-939-1325). Ticket prices are $8 for members of either organization, and $10 for non-members.

Gallery Reception - Exquisite North: Contemporary Danish Jewelry: On Tuesday, September 19th, 2006 at 5-7 pm members of the Danish American Chamber of Commerce are invited to a gallery reception at the Aaron Faber Gallery on 666 Fifth Avenue (enter on 53rd Street). The jewelry exhibition, Exquisite North: Contemporary Danish Jewelry features work by three Danish goldsmiths, Lene Vibe, Stine Bülow and Josephine Bergsøe, who will all be present at the reception.

The three goldsmiths work independently in Denmark, but share a passion for jewelry that is romantic and handmade, a strong trend in jewelry design in Scandinavia, and Denmark in particular. There are 125 pieces in the collection, including rings, pendants and earrings, executed in 18K gold in a hand-wrought style that is textured and personal, romantic and easy to wear. For more information or to RSVP to the reception, please contact Erika Rosenbaum, erosenbaum@aaronfaber.com or 212-586-8411, ext. 10.

TV2 Concert: On Thursday, September 28th, 2006 at 10.30 pm the Danish rock band TV2 will give a concert at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street. Tickets are sold through ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. For further information, please click on the link: http://www.bbkingblues.com/schedule/moreinfo.cgi?id=3648. VIP tickets can be bought through Andreas Justesen, e-mail andreas_justesen@yahoo.com, phone 203-521-3468 or the Danish Seamen's Church, www.dankirkeny.org and include dinner with the band and a signed CD. Should your company be interested in sponsorship, please also contact Andreas Justesen. To hear the latest TV2 hit, click on the link: http://www.infocast.dk/jp/jp.php?id=1163.