Newport Corp. (Irvine, CA) has announced that it intends to sell the majority of its Industrial Metrology Systems Div. The division will be sold in two transactions to separate buyers.

In the first transaction, Newport signed an agreement to sell the contact metrology section piece of the metrology business -- primarily related to its CEJohansson subsidiary -- to Hexagon AB (Nacka Strand, Sweden). Hexagon, a multinational engineering company, is parent company of Brown and Sharpe (North Kingstown, RI). Newport is in negotiations to sell its U.S.-based noncontact business to a separate buyer.