The recreational products unit, which includes all-terrain vehicles and Johnson and Evinrude outboard engines, contributes about 10 percent of the company's total revenue.

Bain Capital, which has backed private investors in several similar deals, will have a 50 percent stake in the recreational products unit.

According to one person close to the deal, the recreational products unit is likely to be kept intact for now, but may be spun off later as a Canadian public company.

Electrolux attributed much of its slump to its industrial products unit - particularly its aluminium subsidiary.

James A. Lent, chairman of DePuy, will head the combined orthopedic products unit, which will be based in Warsaw.

The market for such systems has just begun to grow, said Martin Hally, president of Bord na Mona's environmental products unit in the United States.

It has an alumina refinery at Damanjodi, and a smelter and a rolled products unit at Angul.

"Calculators in general have become a crutch," said Jim Gross, director of marketing for Casio's educational products unit.

He will be immediately replaced by Rolf Classon, head of Bayer's diagnostic products unit.

Losses continued in the digital products unit, which makes computers, and the military unit encountered a "pronounced weakness" in sales.