UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 1 )*
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ESCO Technologies Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
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(Title of Class of Securities)
296315104
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(CUSIP Number)
October 31, 2003
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(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)
Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:
[x] Rule 13d-1(b)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(c)
[ ] Rule 13d-1(d)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
Page 1 of 10 pages
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CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 2 of 10 Pages
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
Not Applicable (b) [ ]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
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NUMBER OF 5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
SHARES
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6 SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
1,354,000
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE DISPOSITVE POWER
EACH None
-----------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,354,000
PERSON WITH
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9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,354,000
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10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [ ]
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11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
10.6%
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12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IA
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CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 3 of 10 Pages
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
Not Applicable (b) [ ]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
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NUMBER OF 5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
SHARES
-----------------------------------------------------------
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
1,354,000
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE DISPOSITVE POWER
EACH None
-----------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,354,000
PERSON WITH
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9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,354,000
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10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [ ]
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11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
10.6%
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12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
CO
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CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 4 of 10 Pages
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Columbia Acorn Trust
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
Not Applicable (b) [ ]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Massachusetts
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NUMBER OF 5 SOLE VOTING POWER
None
SHARES
-----------------------------------------------------------
6 SHARED VOTING POWER
BENEFICIALLY
1,133,000
OWNED BY -----------------------------------------------------------
7 SOLE DISPOSITVE POWER
EACH None
-----------------------------------------------------------
REPORTING 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
1,133,000
PERSON WITH
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9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,133,000
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10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [ ]
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11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
8.9%
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12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IV
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Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:
ESCO Technologies Inc.
Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
8888 Ladue Road
Ste. 200
St. Louis, MO 63124-2090
Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:
Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
("WAM GP")
Columbia Acorn Trust ("Acorn")
Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:
WAM, WAM GP and Acorn are all located at:
227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
Chicago, Illinois 60606
Item 2(c) Citizenship:
WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM GP is a Delaware
corporation; and Acorn is a Massachusetts business trust.
Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities:
Common Stock
Item 2(e) CUSIP Number:
296315104
Item 3 Type of Person:
(d) Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of the
Investment Company Act.
(e) WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section
203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM GP is
the General Partner of the Investment Adviser.
Page 5 of 10 pages
Item 4 Ownership (at October 31, 2003):
(a) Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of
rule 13d-3:
1,354,000
(b) Percent of class:
10.6% (based on 12,793,817 shares outstanding as of
July 31, 2003).
(c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: none
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the
vote: 1,354,000
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of: none
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct disposition
of: 1,354,000
Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
Not Applicable
Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
discretionary clients of WAM, including Acorn. Persons other
than WAM and WAM GP are entitled to receive all dividends
from, and proceeds from the sale of, those shares. Acorn is
the only such person known to be entitled to all dividends
from, and all proceeds from the sale of, shares reported
herein to the extent of more than 5% of the class.
Item 7 Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
Company:
Not Applicable
Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
Not Applicable
Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group:
Not Applicable
Page 6 of 10 Pages
Item 10 Certification:
By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge
and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and
are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
and are not held for the purpose of or with the effect of
changing or influencing the control of the issuer of the
securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection
with or as a participant in any transaction having that purpose
or effect.
Page 7 of 10 Pages
Signature
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After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Date: November 10, 2003
The undersigned corporation, on the date above written,
agrees and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of
this Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial
ownership of the security reported herein.
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
for itself and as general partner of
COLUMBIA WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
-------------------------------------
Bruce H. Lauer
Senior Vice President
and Secretary
The undersigned corporation, on the date above written,
agrees and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of
this Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial
ownership of the security reported herein.
COLUMBIA ACORN TRUST
By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
-------------------------------------
Bruce H. Lauer
Vice President, Treasurer and
Secretary
Page 8 of 10 Pages
Exhibit Index
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Exhibit 1 Joint Filing Agreement dated as of November 10, 2003 by
and among Columbia Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM
Acquisition GP, Inc. and Columbia Acorn Trust
Page 9 of 10 Pages
EXHIBIT 1
JOINT FILING AGREEMENT
The undersigned hereby agree to the joint filing of the Schedule 13G to
which this Agreement is attached.
Dated: November 10, 2003
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
for itself and as general partner of
COLUMBIA WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
--------------------------------------
Bruce H. Lauer
Senior Vice President
and Secretary
COLUMBIA ACORN TRUST
By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
--------------------------------------
Bruce H. Lauer
Vice President, Treasurer and
Secretary
Page 10 of 10 pages