ARNHEM, The Netherlands - Akzo Nobel said it plans to sell its Nordic general industrial coatings operations to Finland-based Kemira, with completion of the sale expected by the end of the year, pending regulatory approvals.

Manufacturing will be transferred within 18 months from Akzo Nobel's sites in Malmi, Sweden, and Wloclawek, Poland, to Kemira's coatings-manufacturing facilities, Akzo Nobel said. The business had 2001 sales of 17 million euros in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Poland