The German group PREUSSAG sole its subsidiary KERMI (turnover of EUR 256 million for the 1999/2000 financial year), specialised in the production of cleaning equipment and radiators from the Swiss ARBONIA-FORSTER for an undisclosed sum. This operation is part of the PREUSSAG debt clearance plan, which it hopes will lower its debt to EUR 4 billion over the next twelve months against around 7.2 billion at present.