Hollands Bring Scandinavian Flavor to Northwest Arkansas

Nordic Moods

Owners: Camilla Holland

Address: 1 E. Center Street, Ste. 170, Fayetteville

Phone: 479-966-4384

E-mail: [email protected]

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday

Web site: http://hstrial-nordicmoods.intuitwebsites.com

Startup date: June 3

Matthew and Camilla Holland knew they wanted to open their businesses in Arkansas. The tricky part was finding an exact location.

“Then we went on a road trip one weekend and we found Fayetteville,” Camilla Holland said with a smile.

Matthew Holland actually was somewhat familiar with Fayetteville, having grown up in southwest Arkansas. The couple spent more than six years living in Norway, however, before moving back to Hot Springs last June.

They made the Fayetteville trip in January, and now are opening two businesses: Nordic Moods and an adjacent eatery, Hjem Restaurant. The restaurant held a soft opening on June 18.

The 1,100-SF space Nordic Moods, meanwhile, features Scandinavian casual and outdoor clothing and accessories. The two primary brands are Bergans of Norway and Ilse Jacobsen.

Bergans touts itself as “one of the world’s leading manufacturers in the development of advanced outdoor equipment and functional clothing,” and Holland stocks a variety of backpacks, caps and other clothing items.

She also sells numerous versions of Ilse Jacobsen rain boots, which are handmade recycled rubber. They come in a variety of styles and colors, and are “both functional and fashionable,” according to Holland.

“They’re great for winter, obviously, but also for a spring or summer rain,” she said.

ALLY canoes also are available. The foldable canoes are made of reinforced PVC skin, weigh just 44 pounds, and can be carried in a large backpack. They are 16.5-feet long and can carry almost 700 pounds.

Holland said she plans eventually to add inventory from 66˚ North, a clothing company based in Iceland.

BancorpSouth Bank Plans To Boost Small Businesses

BancorpSouth Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of BancorpSouth, has increased its focus on small- to mid-sized businesses throughout its eight-state market area that includes Northwest Arkansas.

The bank’s initiative is designed to help small businesses better manage cash flow, save time and maximize bottom lines. Among the incentives, BancorpSouth continues to offer its standard next-day credit to small businesses that open a merchant services account with the bank, along with a limited time offer of up to $200 of free processing services on credit card purchases.

Another limited-time incentive to small business owners is a $100 cash offer to those who transfer small-business checking accounts to BancorpSouth. Those transferring personal checking accounts are eligible to receive an additional $50 cash.

BancorpSouth Bank has a presence in seven Northwest Arkansas towns and cities, including Fayetteville, Fort Smith and Rogers.