March 17, 2000 Justice Department Sanctions Regional Drum Manufacturers Joint Venture A letter from Joel Klein, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department's Anti-Trust Division, stated that on Wednesday, March 8, 2000, the U.S. Justice Department's Anti-Trust Division approved the joint sales and purchasing venture of five regional steel drum manufacturers known as Containers America, LLC. Organized as a limited liability corporation in March of 1999, the steel drum manufacturers have been operating under the Justice Department's guidelines of "...all is acceptable unless you hear otherwise". In stating their findings, the Justice Department said the joint venture was unlikely to have anti-competitive effects in the market and would allow the companies to bid jointly for national contracts as well as jointly purchase steel and other materials. The five (5) companies who comprise Containers America, LLC are CP Louisiana, Inc. of New Orleans, Louisiana; Nesco Container Corporation of Fenton, Missouri; North Coast Container Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio; General Steel Drum Corporation of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Trilla Steel Drum Corporation of Chicago, Illinois. While allowing the firms to join forces for national bids/contracts, each individual company will continue to operate independently in their respective marketing areas. ###   Copyright © 2000 Containers America, LLC.  All rights reserved. Last Modified Tuesday, January 07, 2003