COMPANIES

Yucaipa Cos. Completes Alpha Beta Purchase: The owner of Viva and Boys markets completed the acquisition of 142 Alpha Beta supermarkets for $251 million. Yucaipa Cos. of Claremont, now appears to have edged out Ralphs Grocery Co. as the No. 3 grocery store operator in the Southland. For the seller, Salt Lake City-based American Stores, the deal settles an antitrust case brought by the state attorney general’s office after the company bought the rival Lucky Stores chain in 1988 for $2.5 billion. The 15 Alpha Beta stores not included in the deal, all in San Diego County, will be converted to Lucky stores.