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Dial Sells 2 Lines to Hathi Group

Bloomberg News

Dial Corp., which put itself up for sale this month, sold its unprofitable Sarah Michaels lotions and Freeman cosmetics lines to Hathi Group. Dial will take a $200-million charge for a loss on the transaction.

Terms weren’t disclosed. Dial, which also makes Purex detergent and Renuzit air freshener, paid $260 million for the personal-care lines in 1998, a spokesman said. The board of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Dial this month said that it will solicit bids for the consumer products maker, which is struggling to compete with larger rivals.

Hathi Group is a closely held Chicago-based operator of packaging, medical equipment and personal-care companies.

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Dial shares fell 38 cents to close at $16.72 on the NYSE.

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