They also have an import and export company that brings merchandise from Scandinavian countries to stores in the U.S. and Canada, and they offer many of their own brands.

They opened the store in Norway 37 years ago.

“Barb’s from Kingsford. We met in Chicago and wanted to move back to the U.P. In 1988, we made the plunge. We bought this house and fixed it up and opened around June,” Rob said.

The Thornes raised their three children — daughter Britta and sons Tor and Ren — in Norway. All three are graduates of the University of Michigan and also played in the university marching band.

The Swedish Passport Company store is at 616 Iron St. in Norway. They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News photo)

The business operates in a house where every nook and cranny of the downstairs is filled with 100s of items — socks, shirts, sweaters, food, kitchenware, puzzles, games, books and more.

“We import from Nordic countries” such as Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Barb said.

“Rob’s dad came from Sweden and both his mother’s parents,” Barb said. Her grandparents were from there as well, she said, adding her mother used to help in the store.

“I think the Nordic stuff we carry is, for the most part, very practical for everyone,” Rob said. “When people see ‘Swedish Passport,’ they think ‘well, I’m not Swedish,’ but we have kitchenware and cookbooks that aren’t Nordic.”

One item they make and sell are Scandlights, Barb said. They are battery-powered lights shaped like objects such as stars that are placed in windows. “We are manufacturing a lot of them,” she said.

“They’re common for people in those countries, when it gets dark, it’s 18 to 20 hours a day. A lot of people in those countries have them in their windows,” Rob said.

Dala horses are another very recognizable items from those countries. They import many of the colorful wooden horses that are distinguished by their shape.

They have added more puzzles in the past few years, after COVID emerged. “People wanted something to do inside,” Rob said. Not all of them are Nordic.

They also helped in 1992 to start Norway’s annual Leif Erickson Day in October.

The store at 626 Iron St. is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. They can be reached at 906-563-8200, on their website at swpassportstore.com or via Facebook.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.