UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. )*
------------
ESCO Technologies Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock
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(Title of Class of Securities)
296315104
--------------------------------
(CUSIP Number)
December 31, 2002
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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
SEC 1745 (2/92)
CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 2 of 10 Pages
________________________________________________________________________________
1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. 36-3820584
________________________________________________________________________________
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
3. SEC USE ONLY
________________________________________________________________________________
4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
________________________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES None
_________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER
OWNED BY 1,119,000
_________________________________________________________________
EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING None
_________________________________________________________________
PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 1,119,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,119,000
________________________________________________________________________________
10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
8.9 %
________________________________________________________________________________
12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IA
________________________________________________________________________________
CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 3 of 10 Pages
________________________________________________________________________________
1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
________________________________________________________________________________
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
3. SEC USE ONLY
________________________________________________________________________________
4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Delaware
________________________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES None
_________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER
OWNED BY 1,119,000
_________________________________________________________________
EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING None
_________________________________________________________________
PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 1,119,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
1,119,000
________________________________________________________________________________
10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
8.9 %
________________________________________________________________________________
12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
CO
________________________________________________________________________________
CUSIP No. 296315104 13G Page 4 of 10 Pages
________________________________________________________________________________
1. NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)
Liberty Acorn Trust
________________________________________________________________________________
2. CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [_]
Not Applicable (b) [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
3. SEC USE ONLY
________________________________________________________________________________
4. CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Massachusetts
________________________________________________________________________________
NUMBER OF 5. SOLE VOTING POWER
SHARES None
_________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY 6. SHARED VOTING POWER
OWNED BY 951,100
_________________________________________________________________
EACH 7. SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
REPORTING None
_________________________________________________________________
PERSON 8. SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
WITH 951,100
________________________________________________________________________________
9. AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
951,100
________________________________________________________________________________
10. CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
Not Applicable [_]
________________________________________________________________________________
11. PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
7.6 %
________________________________________________________________________________
12. TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IV
________________________________________________________________________________
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 63124-2056
Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:
Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
("WAM GP")
Liberty 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 December 31, 2002):
(a) Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of
rule 13d-3:
1,119,000
(b) Percent of class:
8.9 % (based on 12,560,878 shares outstanding as
of December 16, 2002).
(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: 1,119,000
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the
disposition of: none
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct
disposition of: 1,119,000
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
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: February 4, 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
LIBERTY 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.
LIBERTY ACORN TRUST
By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
----------------------------------------
Bruce H. Lauer
Vice President, Treasurer and
Secretary
Page 8 of 10 Pages
Exhibit Index
Exhibit 1 Joint Filing Agreement dated as of February 4, 2003 by
and among Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM
Acquisition GP, Inc. and Liberty Acorn Trust
Page 9 of 10 Pages