PITTSBURGH -- Watson Standard Co., a manufacturer of high-performance coatings for the packaging industry, has acquired Akzo Nobel's North American Container Coatings group. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Included in the sale are product lines involving UV-cure and conventional coatings for metal food and aerosol cans, and general metal decorating coatings. Sales figures for the business were not disclosed, but a Watson Standard spokesman said the business was a small, niche segment of Akzo Nobel's coatings operations.

Watson Standard said the acquisition significantly expands its range of packaging-coatings products. "The addition of this business enables us to provide an even higher level of service and a broader mix of products to meet customer needs," said Watson Standard President H. Knox Watson III. "It is another step in the company's strategic commitment to the packaging coating industry."