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Applications for approval of transactions: The FTC has received an application for approval of a transaction from the following. The FTC is seeking public comments on the application for 30 days, until November 24.

  • Insilco Corporation, of Dublin, Ohio, has applied for FTC approval to divest two welded-seam aluminum tubing mills in Duncan, South Carolina, to a partnership to be formed by Avins Industrial Products Corporation, of New York City, and Lawrence Industries, Inc., of Cleveland, Ohio. Lingemann GmbH & Co., a German firm from which Insilco originally purchased the assets now proposed for divestiture, also will be a co-venturer with Avins and Lawrence. Divestiture of these assets is required under a proposed order settling charges that Insilco’s purchase of Helima-Helvetion International, Inc. assets from Lingemann would violate federal antitrust laws by substantially reducing competition in the markets for welded-seam aluminum radiator and charged air cooler tubing in North America. (See Aug. 27, 1997 news release for more details about the proposed order, which itself remains open to public comment through Nov. 7; File No. 961 0106.) Staff contact is Daniel Ducore, 202-326-2526.

Consent agreements given final approval: Following a public comment period, the Commission has made final a consent agreement with the following entity. The Commission action makes the consent order binding on the respondent.

  • The consent order with Automatic Data Processing, Inc., of Roseland, New Jersey, settles charges that its acquisition of AutoInfo, Inc., assets resulted in a monopoly and substantially reduced competition in five markets in the salvage-yard parts trading infor mation network industry. The order will reestablish a competitor to ADP by requiring that ADP divest the former AutoInfo assets as an ongoing business, grant the acquirer a paid-up, perpetual, non-exclusive license to the "Hollander Interchange" (the cross- indexed numbering system of interchangeable auto parts;) and provide updates to the Hollander Interchange until the acquirer can create its own updates. The order also requires ADP, for one year after divestiture, to allow the acquirer to draw on ADP’s technical assistance, and to allow certain contractual customers to switch to the acquirer’s product without penalty. The order also prohibits ADP from restricting its employees from accepting employment with the acquirer and, for 10 years, prohibits it from restricting its customers’ ability to connect to and receive or transmit inventory data through the acquirer’s products and requires it to provide information necessary for the acquirer or its licensees to create interfaces with ADP’s products. Finally, for 10 years, the order requires ADP to obtain FTC approval before reacquiring any AutoInfo assets and to notify the FTC before acquiring other assets used in salvage-yard management or communications systems. (See June 18, 1997 news release for more details regarding this case; Docket No. 9282; Commission vote to approve the order as final was 4-0.) Staff contact is Howard Morse, 202-326-2949.

Comments on the Insilco application 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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