Announced Actions for August 16, 1996

The Federal Trade Commission today announced the following actions. The FTC staff contact is Dan Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Applications for prior approval of transactions: The FTC has received applications for prior approval of transactions from the following. The applications will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until Sept. 16.

• Praxair, Inc., of Danbury, Connecticut, has applied for FTC approval to divest to AGA Gas, Inc., of Independence, Ohio, four industrial gas producing facilities located in Bozrah, Connecticut; Madison, Wisconsin; Irwindale, California; and Vacaville, California. Divestiture of these facilities is required under an April 1996 FTC consent order designed to restore competition in certain merchant atmospheric gases production markets following Praxair’s acquisition of CBI Industries, Inc. (See Jan. 11, 1996 news release for more details regarding the consent order; Docket No. C-3648.)
• Lockheed Martin Corporation, of Bethesda, Maryland, has applied for FTC approval to divest to Washington Consulting Group, Inc., also of Bethesda, Lockheed’s SETA Services Operations. Divestiture of SETA Services is required under a proposed FTC consent order designed to restore competition in numerous markets, following Lockheed’s acquisition of Loral Corporation. One of the markets at issue was the research, development manufacture and sale of air traffic control systems, which the settlement addresses by providing that Lockheed divest its systems engineering and technical services (SETA) contract with the Federal Aviation Administration to a Commission-approved acquirer. (See April 18, 1996 news release regarding the consent agreement; FTC File No. 961 0026.)

Commission action regarding applications for prior approval: Following a public comment period, the FTC has ruled on applications from the following:

• The FTC has approved the application of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, to divest to Ville Platte Medical Center, Inc. and Hospital Service District No. 1 of Evangeline Parish, the Ville Platte Medical Center. Divestiture of the hospital was required under a 1995 consent order designed to restore hospital competition in areas of Louisiana and other states following Columbia/HCA’s merger with Healthtrust Inc. (See April 5, 1995 news release regarding the consent order; Docket No. 3619; Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 5-0.)
• The FTC has approved the application of The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc., of Quincy, Massachusetts, to divest the supermarket located at 170 Great Road in Bedford, Massachusetts, to Leo’s Market, L.L.C., a newly-created company founded by Leo Kahn and which operates out of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Divestiture of this and 17 other stores is required under an April 1996 consent order designed to restore supermarket competition in five areas of Massachusetts that allegedly was lost when Stop & Shop acquired Purity Supreme, Inc. (See Nov. 1, 1995 news release regarding the 1996 consent order; Docket No. C-3649; Commission vote to approve the divestiture was 5-0.)

Comments on the applications should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. Copies of the documents referenced above are available from the FTC’s Public Reference Branch, Room 130, at the same address; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710. FTC news releases and other materials also are available on the Internet at the FTC’s World Wide Web site at: http://www.ftc.gov

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