[ BUSINESS BRIEFS ]

Suiza plant sale clears path for Dean deal

Suiza Foods Corp., the biggest U.S. milk producer, won antitrustclearance to complete its $2.2 billion purchase of No. 2 Dean FoodsCo. after agreeing to sell 11 dairies. The Justice Department saidSuiza, the maker of International Delight creamer, will sell plantsin eight states to allay government concerns the combined companywould have too big a share of regional markets for dairy products.Based in Dallas, Suiza says it plans to complete the transaction byyear's end when it will assume the name of Dean Foods, now based inFranklin Park. The combined company will have about 35 percent of thenation's dairy sales. Suiza agreed to sell dairies in Huntsville,Ala.; Miami; Winterhaven, Fla.; New Paris, Ind.; London andMadisonville, Ky.; Cincinnati; Cleveland; North Charleston, S.C.;Salt Lake City, and Bristol, Va. The buyer is National Dairy HoldingsLP, a new partnership that will be 50 percent owned by Dairy Farmersof America Inc., a farm cooperative.

Motorola to use Israeli firm's technology

Emblaze Systems Ltd., whose technology lets mobile-phone userswatch videos and listen to music, said Motorola will use itstechnology in semiconductors for future wireless devices with fastaccess to the Internet. Motorola's DragonBall microprocessor, used inmore than three-quarter of the world's electronic organizers,including those made by Palm Inc., will use Emblaze's technology toenable handsets and handheld computers makers to offer services suchas video clips, Emblaze spokeswoman Adi Bachar said. Emblaze is anIsraeli maker of software formerly known as Geo Interactive MediaGroup Ltd.

OfficeMax will close 40 stores

OfficeMax Inc., the third-largest U.S. office-supplies chain, saidit will close 40 stores and that it still expects a loss in itsfiscal fourth quarter. Operating results in the quarter ending Jan.26 are "substantially better" than the third quarter, Chief ExecutiveMichael Feuer said on a conference call. The stores to be closed willbe in locations that are "no longer economically and strategicallyviable," Feuer said, though specific sites and closing dates have yetto be determined.

GE Capital cutting 3,000 jobs

General Electric Co. is cutting 3,000 jobs at GE Capital, thelargest non-bank finance company, and will leave some financingbusinesses, which should result in $400 million in savings next year.General Electric will use a $1 billion gain from the sale of asatellite unit to offset the costs of the job cuts and the exiting ofsome lines of business. General Electric is eliminating 22,000positions companywide this year, though the cuts have been offset byjobs added, said spokesman David Frail. GE Capital, which typicallyprovides about 40 percent of the company's profit, is consolidatingbusiness lines in its 24 units.

Steel producers agree to 10% output trim

Steel producers meeting in Paris said they agreed to cut worldproduction by almost 10 percent in the next decade after a glut sentprices to their lowest level in almost 20 years. The group pledged areduction of as much as 97.5 million metric tons, out of globalcapacity of 1.06 billion. Herwig Schloegel, deputy director generalof the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, saidthe plan was independent of any U.S. decision to impose tariffs andquotas on imports, as proposed by the U.S. International TradeCommission.

Microsoft delays Expedia stake sale

Microsoft Corp. said the sale of its stake in No. 2 Internettravel agency Expedia Inc. will be delayed until the first half of2002 because the buyer, USA Networks Inc., is selling other assets.

Sabre raises earnings forecast

Sabre Holdings Corp., the largest travel-reservation company andowner of Travelocity.com, raised its fourth-quarter profit forecastbecause of an increase in bookings. Sabre expects to break even orearn as much as 5 cents a share in the quarter, it said. The companyearlier forecast a loss of as much as 15 cents a share to a profit ofas much as 5 cents.

Late sell-off batters beans

Soybean futures fell sharply today on the Chicago Board of Tradein a late-session sell-off inspired by technical weakness in the soyproduct markets. Wheat for March delivery fell 1/2 cent to $2.853/4 abushel; March corn fell 11/2 cents to $2.14 a bushel; March oats fell51/2 cents to $1.911/2 a bushel; January soybeans fell 43/4 cents to$4.32 a bushel.