Aroostook County covers the northernmost reaches of Maine, and is also the largest county in all of the New England states. Mainers affectionately refer to Aroostook simply as “The County.” The region has a rich and vibrant Swedish heritage, thanks to the hardy Swedish pioneers who began settling here in the 1870’s.

For more than 40 years, Monica’s Scandinavian Imports in Caribou has been northern Maine’s source for items from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The store was established by Monica Soderberg, a native of Stockholm, Sweden.

As a modern-day Swedish immigrant to northern Maine, Monica began selling Scandinavian imports from her home in 1964. From these modest beginnings, the operation grew, eventually occupying a building on Prospect Street in downtown Caribou for many years.

After a hiatus of several years following Monica’s retirement, family members reopened the store in a newly-refurbished facility appropriately located at 176 Sweden Street. Today, some of the original staff are still working the floor.