Norwich — City officials who like to tout the city’s strategic location along major highways, between New York, Boston and Providence, don’t usually promote that it is close to Europe but, for one entrepreneurial couple, that was a big selling point.

Dutch natives and international interior design specialists Ingrid Bergman and Samuel Smit landed in Norwich after conducting a calculated assessment of the entire North American continent.

They started with wanting to be close to their European business associate. They wanted four seasons, low risk of major natural disasters, a quieter lifestyle than big cities or shoreline tourist and traffic bustle would permit but within reasonable distance to international airports. And they wanted a place with outdoor living, character and history.

Putting all that together, they chose Connecticut and started an online search for houses. In December, they moved into a house with a nice yard and woods in Occum. They joined the Norwich Historical Society, and Smit volunteers Saturday mornings at the Norwich Heritage and Regional Visitors Center on the Norwichtown Green.

They put their interior design expertise to work at Norwich Arts Center, volunteering to renovate the Donald Oat Theater bathrooms, paint the floor and design the color scheme for the theater. Smit is on the board of directors for The Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. Their current favorite weekend exploration spot is Pachaug Forest, but they are looking to expand to other scenic eastern Connecticut getaways.

“We’re happy we ended up in Norwich,” Smit said. “The city provides absolutely superb services.”

And for those who complain about the high taxes, Bergman provided some perspective. In the Netherlands, the sales tax is 20 percent, and those earning the top income levels pay 72 percent in income taxes.

The couple own and operate Ingrid Bergman Interiors — IBI on their business cards — with Bergman as the design specialist and Smit as the business manager and CEO. Bergman also is the North American marketing representative for Eric Kuster Interior Design.

Her affiliation with the firm started “across the kitchen table” in the Netherlands, she said, when a friend asked if she would “look at the North American markets” for the company. Within three months, she said, the firm had opened two showrooms. Now, there are 10, including major cities such as New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Toronto. There are two in Connecticut, in Stamford and Deep River.

The couple’s own IBI has grown, too, although in a much smaller scale. They joined the Norwich Community Development Corp’s Foundry 66 and had a start-up office there. They then got permits for a home office but realized they needed a business presence in an area where there’s more “traffic” for the design business.

This week, they started setting up their new office in the Velvet Mill in Stonington.

Bergman said, however, that it’s a myth that only wealthy people should hire design specialists. She said Home and Garden TV network shows have glamorized the industry but portray a falsehood that a family can gut a house, paint and furnish it in a half-hour. She said people need to think about floor planning and how they use specific spaces in their home.

“People think that interior design is very expensive,” she said, “but hiring an interior designer can save you a lot of money.”

Opening the Stonington office doesn’t mean they’ve given up on doing business in Norwich. Smit reached out to Three Rivers Community College to offer the opportunity for internships for two students in the fall. If that pans out, he hopes to renew his Foundry 66 membership and have the interns work from that office.

Smit and Bergman credit NCDC for their early success, and for even still being in the United States. The couple needed a business visa from the visa consulate in the Netherlands. The temporary visa is good for five years and can be difficult to obtain.

Smit asked NCDC President Robert Mills for help, and Mills wrote a letter of support that opened the door. Smit summed up the letter: “We feel they would be very good for the city of Norwich. We met them, we believe in them. We welcome them.”

Mills called Smit and Bergman “a dynamic couple." He said their situation showed the diverse nature of economic development. For them, it meant writing a letter of visa support to bring to Norwich a couple who embraced their new community with enthusiasm and volunteer involvement.

“Isn’t it amazing how people come from nowhere, and in just a short period of time they put their energy to work,” Mills said.

Smit described the NCDC office and staff of Mills and Community Manager Jill Fritzsche as a strong team providing business support.

“Jill connected us with the people we should work with,” Smit said. “They’re quite a strong team to get us where we needed to be.”

Smit said their temporary business visa doesn’t provide a straight route to U.S. citizenship. They first will try to obtain a permanent visa and then work on citizenship.

“If somebody offered me citizenship today, I would sign up,” Smit said.

c.bessette@theday.com