S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Has Petitioned the FTC To Reopen and Modify a 1993 Order

S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. has petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to reopen and modify a 1993 order by terminating a provision that requires the company to obtain the FTC's approval for 10 years before acquiring an interest in any air freshener or furniture care products manufactured or distributed in the United States. Johnson made the request pursuant to the Commission's prior-approval policy, under which the Commission adopted a rebuttable presumption that the public interest requires setting aside prior-approval provisions in outstanding merger orders. The petition will be subject to public comment for 30 days, until Oct. 27.

Johnson, a major U.S. manufacturer of home-care products, is based in Racine, Wisconsin.

The 1993 order that imposes the 10-year prior-approval requirement settled FTC allegations that Johnson's $1.5 billion acquisition of certain assets of the Drackett Company -- a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company -- could violate antitrust laws by substantially decreasing competition or tend to create a monopoly in the U.S. market for certain air-freshener products and for furniture-care products.

Comments on the petition should be addressed to the FTC, Office of the Secretary, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

Copies of the petition, as well as other documents associated with this case, are available from the FTC's Public Reference Branch, Room 130, 6th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 202-326-2222; TTY for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest FTC news as it is announced, call the FTC's 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

(FTC Docket No. C-3418)