Waste Management withdrew its Chemlawn offer

Chemlawn, a Columbus, Ohio, lawn-care company, had sought to fight off the Oak Brook, Ill., firm’s takeover attempt by arranging a friendly merger with Ecolab Inc. of St. Paul, Minn. Herbert A. Getz, a spokesman for Waste Management, would say only that his company’s $35 per share offer was withdrawn. He would not comment on whether Waste Management still held out hope of acquiring Chemlawn. Chemlawn announced that Ecolab, which makes cleaning products for institutions, signed a definitive agreement to buy Chemlawn for about $370 million.