Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved an application by Service Corporation International (SCI) to divest a funeral home in Auburn, California, as required under the FTC’s May 2014 order settling charges that SCI’s acquisition of Stewart Enterprises, Inc. would be anticompetitive. This is the last of the 53 funeral homes and 38 cemeteries that the FTC required SCI to divest to ensure competition is maintained in 59 communities throughout the United States.
The Commission vote to approve the divestiture of Lassila Funeral Chapel to Claney Oatmeyer Semenyuk, Inc., and to extend the time by which it must be completed, was 5-0. (FTC File No. 131-0163, Docket No. C4423; the staff contact is Elizabeth A. Piotrowski, Bureau of Competition, 202-326-2623)
The FTC’s Bureau of Competition works with the Bureau of Economics to investigate alleged anticompetitive business practices and, when appropriate, recommends that the Commission take law enforcement action. To inform the Bureau about particular business practices, call 202-326-3300, send an e-mail to antitrust{at}ftc{dot}gov, or write to the Office of Policy and Coordination, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Room CC-5422, Washington, DC 20580. To learn more about the Bureau of Competition, read Competition Counts. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.