My mother grew up in Malmo, Sweden until she was 12 years old when she immigrated to the United States.  My Morfar (grandfather) and Mormor (grandmother) decided to move my mother and her brother along with their company in 1979. It took many years for my mom’s family to get green cards, move to a new country, and eventually get citizenship.  The company my grandfather decided to establish in America started out with my great great great grandfather, Nils Peder Martensson, in 1880 making lady’s parasols, called Paraply Marten.  In 1920, Morbor Martensson took over the company, now 2nd generation, and started making rain umbrellas. My Morfar, Olaf Martensson in 1960 then decided to make retractable Awnings as the Chinese were starting to make rain umbrellas cheaply. He later made the decision to establish the company in America as the socialist economy in Sweden was not good for business. So in 1979, my mother and her family immigrated to America. Their company, now selling exclusively awnings, was one of the first awning companies in America.  My mother and her brother currently own the company, now called Sunair Awnings, and are the 5th generation.  Sunair Awnings has dealer networks all across America, Canada, Mexico, and the Carribean.  My Mother and Uncle have now expanded the company with another manufacturing plant in Arizona.  My cousins, my brother, or I will one day take over the company to become the 6th generation. 

– MB.

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant