Los Angeles County is suing a private equity firm and three other companies alleging overcharging and state and federal antitrust violations in relation to fire truck purchases.
The defendants in the lawsuit, filed by County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison on behalf of the county, its fire department, and the people of the State of California, are the private equity firm American Industrial Partners and fire truck manufacturers REV Group, Oshkosh Corporation and Boise Mobile Equipment, according to a news release from Harrison’s office.
The lawsuit claims the defendants’ conduct violated unfair competition laws “for consolidating the fire truck market through a series of anticompetitive mergers, acquisitions and other unfair practices… (that) sharply inflated the cost of fire trucks and parts to fire departments nationwide, including the L.A. County Fire Department,” according to the county counsel’s office…