Avery Dennison, a leading US packaging provider, has completed the sale of its package label converting business in Europe to CCL Industries, a label and packaging solutions company based in Toronto, Canada.

The transaction involves the sale of two label converting facilities in Denmark and one in France.

Avery Dennison said it had taken the decision in order to concentrate its efforts in pressure-sensitive adhesive materials, office products and retail information service.

The two Avery Dennison package label converting facilities in Denmark are located in the cities of Brondby and Randers, while the French package label converting plant is in Chilly-Mazarin.

Until now the European operation have been serving customers in the food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics markets with customised, self-adhesive labels for product packaging. The 325 Avery Dennison employees at the three operations will become employees of CCL Industries and the transition is expected to be seamless for customers of these operations.

Avery Dennison is a global leader in pressure-sensitive technology and innovative self-adhesive solutions for consumer products and label materials. Based in Pasadena, California in the US, the Company had 2002 sales of $4.2 billion.