加州总检察长与FTC联手起诉 阻止两大户外游乐设备商合并
旧金山——加州总检察长 Rob Bonta 10月19日宣布，加州已与美国联邦贸易委员会（FTC）及一个由 12 个州总检察长组成的两党联盟共同提起诉讼，要求阻止户外游乐设备制造商 PlayPower 公司收购竞争对手 BCI Burke 公司。诉讼已向加州北区联邦地区法院提起，指控该合并违反《克莱顿法》第 7 条。
诉讼称，PlayPower 与 Burke 同属全美商业户外游乐设备的五大供应商，五家厂商——PlayCore、PlayPower、Burke、Landscape Structures 与 KOMPAN——合计约占全美销售额的 85% 至 90%，市场高度集中。PlayPower 旗下已拥有 Miracle Recreation Equipment、Little Tikes Commercial 与 Playworld Systems 等品牌，其所有者为私募股权机构 Platinum Equity；Burke 则由 Bertram Capital Management 持有。这类设备的主要买家是学校、教堂、地方公园与文娱部门，支出多来自纳税人税款。
FTC 在其声明中称，PlayPower 正试图通过收购其最接近的竞争对手之一来消除双方之间激烈的正面竞争，而这种竞争目前正通过更低价格、更好服务、更高质量与更多创新使游乐场客户受益。FTC 竞争局局长 Daniel Guarnera 表示，游乐场是数百万美国儿童与家庭日常生活不可或缺的一部分，州与地方政府每年花费数亿美元税款建设游乐场；「PlayPower 与其母公司 Platinum Equity 不是投资于建设更好的游乐场或降低价格，而是想要消灭其最激烈的竞争对手之一，继续向美国的学校、公园部门、教堂与市政机构涨价。」FTC 称，委员会以 2 比 0 的投票授权工作人员寻求永久禁令，诉讼同时请求临时限制令。
原告方主张，合并将显著提高本已集中的市场的集中度，造成价格上涨、质量与服务下降、创新减少，最终成本由纳税人出资的学校与公园承担。科罗拉多州总检察长 Phil Weiser 在联合声明中表示，游乐设备领域的竞争意味着公园、学校与宗教场所有更多选择、付出更低价格；当公司试图通过反竞争合并削弱竞争时，他将站出来保护消费者。
PlayPower 今年 2 月宣布已签署收购 Burke 的最终协议，交易财务条款未披露。
California AG Bonta and the FTC Sue to Block Merger of Playground Equipment Makers PlayPower and Burke
SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on October 19 that California has joined the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan coalition of 12 state attorneys general in a lawsuit to block outdoor playground equipment maker PlayPower Inc. from acquiring rival BCI Burke Co. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges the merger would violate Section 7 of the Clayton Act.
The suit says PlayPower and Burke are among the five largest suppliers of commercial outdoor playground equipment in the United States, and that the five firms — PlayCore, PlayPower, Burke, Landscape Structures and KOMPAN — account for roughly 85 to 90 percent of national sales in a highly concentrated market. PlayPower, owned by private equity firm Platinum Equity, already owns brands including Miracle Recreation Equipment, Little Tikes Commercial and Playworld Systems; Burke is owned by Bertram Capital Management. The equipment is bought mainly by schools, churches, local parks and recreation departments, largely with taxpayer dollars.
The FTC said PlayPower is attempting to eliminate the intense head-to-head rivalry that currently benefits playground customers through lower prices, better services, higher quality and increased innovation. "Playgrounds are an indispensable part of daily life for millions of American kids and their families. And state and local governments spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars each year on playgrounds so that their communities have places for kids to play safely," said Daniel Guarnera, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition. "Instead of investing in building better playgrounds or lowering prices, PlayPower and its parent Platinum Equity want to eliminate one of PlayPower's fiercest competitors and continue to raise prices on American schools, parks departments, churches and municipalities." The FTC said its commissioners voted 2-0 to authorize staff to seek a permanent injunction, and the complaint also seeks a temporary restraining order.
The plaintiffs argue the merger would significantly increase concentration in an already concentrated market, leading to higher prices, lower quality and service, and diminished innovation, with the costs borne by taxpayer-funded schools and parks. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a joint statement that competition for playground equipment means parks, schools and houses of worship have more choices and pay less, and that he will stand up to protect consumers when companies seek to decrease competition through an anticompetitive merger.
PlayPower announced in February that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Burke; financial terms were not disclosed.
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：加州一处公园的商业户外游乐设备（资料照片）。Ryanx7 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 发布。
- 2026-10-19 12:15加州总检察长与FTC联手起诉 阻止两大户外游乐设备商合并本篇
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